


James Smith, First Year Slytherin

by CrazedChemist



Series: The (mis)adventures of one James Smith [1]
Category: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Cursed Vaults (Hogwarts Mystery), Novelization, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:07:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27474745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrazedChemist/pseuds/CrazedChemist
Summary: First year of James Smith at Hogwarts, including the start of his rivalry with Merula Snyde and his friendship with Rowan, Penny, Ben and Chiara.This is only the first year of the game, and of my first fanfic here "The (mis)adventures of one James Smith", which I'm dividing into a full series for easier editing.
Series: The (mis)adventures of one James Smith [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2007511
Kudos: 1





	1. The Journey Begins

**Author's Note:**

‘Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. The past few years have seen a great weight lifted from our world. Remember, while you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn you House Points, while any rule-breaking will lose House Points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to your house.’ Dumbledore addressed the students filling the Great Hall, right after the Sorting Ceremony. After his welcoming speech, the students began to eat and chat.

A newly Sorted Slytherin by the name of James Smith, with light skin, brown eyes and straw-like hair was deep in conversation with his new friend and housemate Rowan Khanna, with messy black hair and brown skin, and thick glasses over his brown eyes. Throughout the whole dinner they talked about their hobbies, the classes they would have, what they looked forward to in the year, and many, many other things. When the Feast came to an end, their Head of House directed them to the Slytherin Common Room, where they rested for the night after more conversation.

On the first day of classes, Professor Flitwick taught them the Lightning Wand charm, something Jamie seemed to naturally excel at. After their first Charms class, he and Rowan went to the dungeons for their first Potions class. Feeling the call of nature, Jamie excused himself, while his friend continued to class. When he was finally arriving there after his delay, Jamie saw his friend talking to, or rather, arguing with, another student. A Slytherin girl, to be more precise. She had short, messy, brown hair with a patch of orange and very pale skin. Her robes were unkempt, and from time to time she would stomp one of her feet, which wore heavy combat boots. When Jamie got closer, he heard her yell ‘Admit it!’  
‘I can’t!’ replied a frightened Rowan.  
‘Say I’m the most powerful witch at Hogwarts!’ insisted the girl.  
‘It’s logically impossible! I’ve made numerous lists of the most powerful witches at Hogwarts based on multiple factors. You’re less powerful than Professor McGonagall, Professor Sprout, Madam Hooch, Madam Pomfrey, every single seventh-year… You’re just a first-year like me!’  
This clearly angered the witch. ‘I’m nothing like you,’ she spat.  
Jamie decided to intervene, and got between the two of them, and trying to distract her said with a grin said ‘I don’t know why the most powerful witch at Hogwarts would be bullying a first year… Unless she’s insecure…’  
‘Who do you think you are?’ she asked, scowling at Jamie, who was taken aback for a second at the sight of her unusual violet eyes.  
‘Jamie is the one who should be claiming to be the best wizard. Professor Flitwick said he cast the best Wand-Lighting Charm of any first-year,’ Rowan interjected.  
‘Jamie…? Now I know exactly who you are…’ She grinned as she recognized the Slytherin. ‘You’re James Smith. Your brother lost his mind, disgraced his house, got expelled from school, and was never heard from again. The Sorting Hat should be burned for putting you in Slytherin.’  
‘And you are…?’ Jamie tried to steer the conversation elsewhere, raising an eyebrow. He remembered seeing the girl the night before being Sorted right after himself, but he hadn't listened to her name, as he had been still thrilled at being Sorted with Rowan at the moment.  
Puffing out her chest, her voice full of pride, she answered, ‘Merula Snyde. First-year Slytherin. The best witch at Hogwarts.’ She then narrowed her eyes, and with a condescending tone added ‘I overheard the professors whispering about you at the Feast. I suppose you think you’re better than me. I should put you out of your misery before you ruin Hogwarts like your brother tried to.’  
Shaking his head and with a half-smile, Jamie dismissed the idea. ‘I don’t want any trouble.’  
‘You don’t have a choice,’ said Merula with a dangerous look.  
The boy opted to fight fire with fire when he fired back ‘You’re just afraid I’m more powerful than you.’  
Instead of becoming enraged, or backing off, the girl raised an eyebrow, interested; and accepted the challenge. ‘Let’s find out who’s more powerful right now…’  
Before any of them could say anything else, the classroom door opened, and out came Professor Snape with an angry look on his face. He looked at Jamie, and said ‘Smith. I knew you would be trouble.’  
‘Merula was bullying my friend, Professor…’ but before Jamie could explain himself, he was again interrupted by Snape.  
‘Get to Potions class, and be thankful you aren’t headed for detention.’ The teens obeyed without delay, and Jamie and Rowan chatted quietly until the class begun.

The lesson of the day was the Cure for Boils. In the same table sat the two friends, Merula, and another student. Other than a few mean comments from Merula that were ignored, the lesson appeared to go smoothly. Jamie’s potion seemed to be coming along well, and Rowan congratulated him. But then, an uncontrollable bubbling started. An alarmed Rowan asked ‘Did you add Bulbadox powder? From my studies, this looks like the beginning of the explosive reaction caused by adding Bulbadox powder…’  
‘Explosive?!’ Jamie cried. Too late to do anything, the cauldron exploded, sending the potion all over the students and the class.  
Merula grinned at the sight. ‘Congratulations. You have cured the table of boils.’  
Snape came over to their table, furious. ‘You should have never been allowed inside of my classroom, Smith. Not since your brother have I seen such a reckless Slytherin. Ten points from Slytherin! What do you have to say for yourself?’  
Angrily, and without thinking of the consequences, Jamie snapped ‘I must not have been given proper instruction, Professor.’  
If Snape was shocked at the response, he hid it well, stating coldly after a second of silence ‘You are fortunate I won’t be giving you detention today. Or worse.’ Going back to his desk, he dismissed the class, and all of the students scurried out, whispering about what had just happened.

Rowan was wide-eyed at Jamie's reply. ‘I can’t believe you blamed Snape, but it was the right choice. It threw him off, and kept him from taking more House Points’ he whispered.  
Merula chimed in in a condescending tone, ‘You should have known that coating your cauldron with Bulbadox powder would make your cauldron explode. I certainly did.’  
‘What is your problem? We’re both Slytherins. You just cost us House Points!’ said the sabotaged student.  
‘I’d rather lose House Points now than have you ruin Slytherin forever. Now, there’s no doubt that I’m the most important first-year, and you’re nothing but a disgrace just like your brother.’

Jamie packed his things in a huff, following Rowan out of the classroom after the fiasco. Just when he had exited the room, a quiet voice made him turn around. ‘You’re James Smith, right?’  
Jamie looked at the person that had called out to him. A sickly pale boy with short blonde hair and small brown eyes was facing him, but he seemed to avoid eye contact, shifting his gaze from Jamie to the floor in quick succession. He had been with them in Potions Class, though Jamie didn’t recognise him as a fellow Slytherin, so he had to be one of the Gryffindors they had shared the classroom with. ‘…Yes,’ Jamie said. ‘Who are you?’  
‘Ben Copper,’ the boy introduced himself. ‘I… I just wanted to say thank you for standing up to Merula Snyde.’  
‘You were there? I didn’t see you…’ Jamie said, remembering what had happened but an hour ago.  
‘I was watching from the end of the corridor,’ Ben explained in a faint whisper. ‘I can’t be seen by her outside of classes… I’ve even been following her so she can’t sneak up on me, and if she sees me, I’ll at least have a chance to run away. She tormented me the entire way here on the Hogwarts Express. She kept threatening me, and calling me a Mudblood.’  
Jamie’s stomach twisted in anger, as he muttered ‘I’m sorry, Ben. That’s terrible.’  
‘Merula is obsessed with being the best witch in our year, and she thinks she has to impose her will on us to prove it,’ Ben said, looking around to make sure he wasn’t heard by the witch, who was nowhere to be found on the corridor by now. ‘I’m just glad someone was brave enough to stand up to her. I’m certainly not. It’s a joke that I got put in Gryffindor.’  
‘Everyone is afraid of something, Ben,’ Jamie said dismissively, to try to calm his peer.  
‘Unfortunately, I’m afraid of everything,’ Ben noted, rubbing his arm shyly. ‘I come from a Muggle family, so all of this is new and scary to me.’  
‘I know how you feel,’ Jamie said. ‘I come from a wizard family, and this is hard for me too. But if you need help, give me a shout.’  
Ben gave what could be best described as a weak smile, at least in comparison to his previous look of horror. ‘Thanks, James.’  
‘Call me Jamie,’ Jamie said, smiling encouragingly.  
‘Thanks, Jamie…’ Ben said, his smile a bit stronger. ‘I’ll see you around.’

A while later, Jamie and Rowan were roaming the east corridor. After Potions class, in their Common Room, their prefect Felix Rosier had delivered a letter from Snape, who said in the letter that he would reconsider restoring the House Points if they brought him a jar of ingredients from the Potions storeroom. And that was what had leaded them to a door in the east corridor, following the directions in the letter. Opening it they found themselves in a pitch-black room. Jamie heard the sound of the closing door, and turned to Rowan, ‘Why did you close the door Rowan. Can’t see a thing in here.’  
‘I didn’t, it closed behind me as soon as I stepped inside. And I think it’s locked!’ said his friend, trying in vain to open the door. ‘You should cast the Wand Lightning Carm to help us see.’  
Jamie did so, and finally they saw what was in front of them. A strange looking plant, with thick vines resembling tentacles, covered the rest of the floor and walls. Its vines started to move towards them. ‘What is that thing?!’ asked Jamie.  
The last voice he wanted to hear answered his question, ‘A deadly plant called Devil’s Snare. Some fourth-year Slytherins showed it to me when I first arrived. It’s sensitive to light, so if you’re really better than me at the Wand Lightning Charm, escaping should be no problem…’  
Jamie couldn’t believe it. ‘Merula?! You locked us in here?!’  
‘Along with sending you a fake letter from Snape. I told you things would only get worse for you, Smith. Something has to stop you from ruining Hogwarts. May as well be Devil’s Snare…’ And with that, they heard her run down the corridor.

Jamie felt vines holding his wrists and legs, and saw another one approach his throat. Gasping, he looked with horror towards Rowan, who had the same look on his face. ‘Jamie!’, he heard him say, ‘She’s right about it being sensitive to light. Use _Lumos_ while I try the door and call for help!’ Rowan then turned to the door, and began pounding on it with his fists while screaming for help at the top of his lungs. Meanwhile, Jamie did his best to cast _Lumos_ and release his neck and members. The plant recoiled when the light came too near, but didn’t stop tugging. After what seemed like an eternity, he heard a rough voice coming from the other side of the door, ‘What’s goin’ on in there? Outta the way!’  
With a bang, the door came off its hinges, and a huge figure stepped inside, double the size a normal person. ‘Gulping gargoyles, Slytherin! Get away from that Devil’s Snare. Yer scarin’ it!’ the figure roared.  
‘I’m scaring it?!’ said Jamie, gasping for air.  
‘Let’s get yeh outta here…’  
A huge hand the size of a dustbin lid grabbed Jamie by the shoulder with a dangerously tight grip, and yanked him from the Devil’s Snare with ease, carrying him out to the corridor along with Rowan. ‘You saved my life! Thank you, Mister…’ Jamie said, getting a better look at their saviour.  
‘Rubeus Hagrid, at yer service,’ said the hulking man from under a shaggy black beard that covered his entire face, save for his small black eyes. Three times the width of a normal human, he wore shabby clothes that seemed to have been patched several times to fit his size as he grew. ‘I’m Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Pleasure to meet yeh.’  
Jamie nodded, shaking his huge hand, recognising him as the person who had led the first-years through the lake when they arrived at Hogsmeade. ‘Oh, yes, I remember you from the Welcoming Feast! I’m Jamie Smith, and this is Rowan Khanna.’  
‘Ah, yer the one everybody’s been talkin’ about,’ Hagrid grumbled. ‘Maybe trouble really does run in yer family. How’d yeh end up in there?’  
‘A first-year Slytherin named Merula Snyde locked us inside,’ Rowan said, looking over his torn robes and assessing the damage.  
‘She did?!’ Hagrid cried out.  
Jamie nodded, clenching his fists and muttering under his breath ‘I swear I’ll make her pay for this…’  
‘I can’t blame yeh fer feelin’ that way, but revenge rarely works out well fer anyone,’ Hagrid warned him. ‘Yeh might want teh reconsider. I’d head back to yer Common Room, an’ take some time teh think, Jamie. I don’t want yeh doin’ somethin’ yeh’ll regret.’ Pointing at the shredded robes, Hagrid said ‘Yeh might also want to do somethin’ about those robes. That Devil’s Snare got yeh good.’  
Jamie nodded again, a bit calmer, though rage still boiling inside him. ‘Thanks, Hagrid. Hopefully, I’ll see you around.’

After the Devil’s Snare incident, and changing into fresh robes, Jamie and Rowan went to the Courtyard, where Rowan showed him the game of Gobstones, which proved to be an excellent bonding experience. After their first game, they were interrupted by a voice they had heard too often for their liking, ‘Isn’t this precious?’  
As they turned to face her, Merula looked them up and down with a disappointed look on her face. ‘You are unfortunately looking well after wrestling with the Devil’s Snare… You know, while you were off playing with plants, I’ve been doing a little research about your brother.’  
Out of patience to deal with her, a frustrated Jamie asked ‘Why don’t you just leave me alone?’  
‘Because you’re a danger to Hogwarts just like him, and none of us will be safe until you’re gone,’ she said, without losing her smirk.  
Rowan looked confused. ‘What are you talking about, Merula?’ he asked.  
‘Smith’s brother didn’t just get expelled for endangering the entire school in search of some imaginary vaults…’ she explained in a conspiratorial tone. ‘He immediately went missing, and the next time he was seen, he was working for Voldemort.’  
The pair of friends was taken aback by the mention of the name. ‘You can’t say that! You have to call him He Who Must Not Be Named!’ muttered Rowan.  
Merula looked at him, and said with a cold voice ‘I say what I want.’  
‘You’re lying about my brother having anything to do with He Who Must Not Be Named!’ said Jamie, his eyes full of anger.  
Merula twisted the knife a little more, ‘No wonder the professors were talking about you before the Feast. They’re wondering if you work for The Dark Lord too.’  
Recalling what Rowan had just told him about Merula’s family during their game, Jamie fired back in the meanest tone he could muster ‘I don’t know why you’d ever bring up He Who Must Not Be Named given your family’s history…’  
Merula’s grin turned into a scowl. ‘You don’t know anything about me…’  
It was Jamie’s turn to grin. ‘Not quite. Thanks to Rowan’s research, I know that your parents are locked up in Azkaban for being loyal to He Who Must Not Be Named in the Wizarding War. You know, I finally see why you’re always so angry…’  
Merula took a step backwards, thinking her next words. ‘Why don’t you just drop out of Hogwarts? Save Slytherin and your little friend here the embarrassment of being associated with you.’  
Jamie gave a fake laugh, spitting back ‘You’re just afraid that I’ll be better than you!’  
Merula grinned at that. ‘Afraid? I’ll duel you right now.’  
Taking a second to think, Jamie calmed down, and assessed the situation. He couldn’t step down to her level, he thought. Turning his back to her, he said ‘You aren’t worth my time, Merula. Keep this nonsense to yourself.’  
Offended at his passiveness, Merula yelled at him ‘Don’t walk away from me! _Flipendo!_ ’ After a flash of light, Jamie was in the ground, and felt as if someone had just punched him with a bat in the back. He looked at her, and heard her say as she walked away ‘Learn a few more spells, Smith. Maybe next time you’ll put up a better fight.’  
When she was out of sight, Rowan helped his friend get up, and commented with a sad tone ‘Merula is never going to leave us alone…’  
Jamie looked at him with determination. ‘Not unless I learn more spells, and find someone who can teach me how to duel.’

For the next few days, Jamie and Rowan learned the basics of duelling from Felix Rosier, one of their Prefects. He recommended learning a couple of spells from a duelling book hidden in the Artefact Room, a cluttered room that served as both a hiding spot for strange objects and as a collective dustbin. Rowan helped Jamie learn the Tickling Charm, with the idea of embarrassing Merula in front of everyone, and Jamie even managed to convince professor Flitwick to teach him the Disarming Charm, after promising him that he would only duel as a last resort. In their free time, and with the help of Felix, Jamie and Rowan engaged in practice duels, putting into practice what they had learned. With each duel, Jamie found it more and more interesting, though duelling Rowan could not quench this sudden thirst for battle. He could not wait for the opportunity to stand up to Merula again, just to prove himself and find a more exciting battle.  
One morning, Jamie stepped into the Courtyard, and saw a small crowd gathered around someone. He saw Rowan, and asked him what was going on. ‘Merula is threatening Ben Copper. He keeps trying to walk away, but she won’t let him,’ he explained. Ben was standing in the centre of the crowd, shaking. Merula was in front of him, with her wand at her side.  
‘Just leave me alone!’ pleaded Ben.  
Merula continued with her attack, ‘Disgusting Mudbloods like you shouldn’t ever be allowed in Hogwarts. Leave the magic to real witches and wizards.’  
Jamie stepped in, refusing to let the situation continue, and turned to face Merula. ‘If you want to fight someone, fight me.’  
Merula narrowed her eyes and grinned slightly. ‘You never learn, do you, Smith? Why don’t you be more like your mad brother and go missing?’  
‘You’re the one everyone wishes would just go away.’  
With a scowl, Merula challenged him, ‘Make me, Smith.’  
Seeing the perfect opportunity for comeback, Jamie said ‘I’ll duel you if I have to.’  
Merula gave out a fake chuckle. ‘Try it. You’ll lose again like the loser you are.’  
‘I won’t let you hurt anyone else…’  
But before he could do anything, Merula had pointed her wand at him yelling ‘ _Flipendo!_ ’ He fell to the stone ground. ‘Wrong again, Smith.’ Jamie got up, wand drawn, and bracing for the inevitable duel.  
The opponents began casting spells. ‘ _Rictusempra!_ ’ yelled Jamie, but his spell was dodged by Merula as she cried ‘ _Flipendo!_ ’  
Her jet of light barely missed his leg, as he pointed at her wand, ‘ _Expelliarmus!_ ’ Her wand flew out of her hand to the ground, and she was left unarmed.  
‘How’d you learn that spell already? No fair!’ complained Merula, but no-one was on her side. The students started cheering Ben’s saviour, and Merula’s anger grew even more, ‘You can’t be better than me! No one can be better than me!’  
Confident, Jamie tried to reason with her, ‘I beat you, Merula. Now apologize to Ben Copper, and promise to stop bullying everyone.’  
Merula didn’t calm down, as she doubled down; however, she didn’t see the two teachers approaching behind her as she boasted ‘I’ll never apologize to you losers and Mudbloods! I’m Merula Snyde! Fourth generation Slytherin! The greatest witch at Hogwarts! I do what I want when I want! I run this school! I-’  
‘Ehem…’ Snape made his and Flitwick’s presence known, and Merula turned around with disbelief in her eyes.

After their duel, Merula and Jamie had to answer to Snape for their actions in the West Towers. Jamie was on his way there on his own with heavy feet, when he was stopped by a blonde girl his age. ‘Hello, James Smith,’ she said with a huge smile, her blue eyes shining. She sported two braids on her shoulders, letting the rest of her long hair free down her back.  
‘You know who I am?’ Jamie asked, flustered.  
The girl gave him an amused look, asking ‘Does that surprise you?’  
‘Yeah, I mean, you’re Penny Haywood,’ Jamie said. ‘You’re the most popular girl in our year, and I’m…’ He looked away, while trying to think of an appropriate word. ‘Not popular.’  
‘I disagree, Jamie,’ Penny stated. ‘Everyone is talking about the hero who was brave enough to stand up to the tyranny of Merula Snyde. Not to mention all of the rumours surrounding your brother…’  
‘Did you want something?’ Jamie asked, not wanting to arrive late to his trial by Snape.  
‘I wanted to say thank you. Hogwarts is supposed to be fun, but Merula was making it miserable for everyone.’  
‘Someone had to do something,’ Jamie waved off.  
‘I agree, but only you were brave enough,’ Penny said, making Jamie grit his teeth. He was never good at taking compliments; it was only another way for him to feel somehow embarrassed. ‘I hope Professor Snape doesn’t punish you for this,’ Penny wished. ‘Let me know if I can ever help you with anything, Jamie. I know the gossip around Hogwarts, and I’m pretty good with potions if I say so myself.’  
‘I will,’ Jamie said, grateful for the offer. ‘Thanks, Penny.’  
‘Thank you, Jamie,’ Penny remarked, walking away and waving at him. ‘I’ll see you around.’

Glad to have this new acquaintance, Jamie went to face the consequences of his actions. He met the teacher and his rival near the painting of a bowl with oranges, in the West Towers. While they were being berated by Snape, the professor was pulled aside by the caretaker, postponing their punishment. ‘It’s about the… vaults’ the students heard Filch say to Snape, who turned to his students, ‘Return to your Common Room.’  
Merula’s face lit up when the two adults left them, and said to herself ‘They must be talking about the Cursed Vaults!’ She then followed them sneakily, trying not to be seen. Jamie, too curious to leave the situation be, followed her. They saw the adults go into a corridor, and went into it themselves at a safe distance. When Merula noticed him standing behind her, she whispered angrily ‘Get out of here!’  
‘Are they talking about the Cursed Vaults?’ asked Jamie in a soft voice.  
‘I can’t tell because you won’t shut up.’  
They heard Snape and Filch’s voice at the other side of the corridor, and immediately went quiet to listen in. ‘Who else knows about this?’  
‘Only me and Mrs. Norris saw the ice, sir. Was going to report the incident to the Headmaster, I was.’  
‘I will inform Professor Dumbledore. This may have to do with the Smiths situation.’  
‘Is it true that the vaults are filled with gold and powerful prophecies and artefacts from before Hogwarts existed? And that’s why the Smith boy lost his mind trying to find them?’  
’Don’t worry about what’s inside the vaults. Worry about keeping everyone out. Lock this door, and keep it guarded,’ Snape told him, and continued down the corridor.

When they were the only people in the area, Jamie turned to Merula. ‘What is “the Smiths situation”?’  
The girl rolled her eyes at the question. ‘Who cares? This is another clue to the Cursed Vaults.’  
‘You think the Cursed Vaults are real? And you’re trying to find them? You always call my brother mad for doing that exact thing,’ Jamie called her out.  
‘Even if I cared to explain myself to an idiot, I wouldn’t do it here, and risk getting caught by the two meanest people at Hogwarts,’ Merula said in an exasperated tone before leaving to the Common Room. Being left with more questions than answers, Jamie did the same as her.

‘Hi, Ben. Is something wrong?’ asked Jamie. The two students were in the Great Hall, and Ben seemed distressed. More distressed than usual, at least.  
‘Flying Class is today. I’ve been dreading that class all summer…’ Ben confessed.  
‘You’re afraid of heights?’  
‘Falling from heights, mostly. I told you I come from a Muggle family. The idea of flying through the sky on a broom is terrifying.’  
James tried to calm his friend down. ‘Believe it or not, I’ve never flown on a broom either. My mum was pretty strict about us using magic outside of school. There’s no reason to be worried, Ben. Everyone says Madam Hooch is an excellent teacher.’  
The thought of the Flying instructor did not seem to calm him down. ‘Have you seen Madam Hooch? I already know I’ll be having nightmares about those eyes. You aren’t afraid of flying?’  
‘I’m a little worried too. It’s only natural to be nervous when you’re about to fly,’ Jamie admitted.  
‘It’s good to know I’m not the only one’ said Ben, this time shaking a bit less.  
Their talk was interrupted by Madam Hooch herself, saying ‘You down there. Enough of that chatter.’  
Ben looked terrified, and asked Jamie ‘She’s talking to us! Do you think she read our lips with her eerie bird eyes?’  
‘No, I heard your whiny whimpering from across the room,’ remarked Hooch.  
Ben sunk even lower in his seat. ‘Oh. Right.’  
‘Flying Class begins soon. I expect to see you both on the Training Grounds,’ the teacher reminded them before leaving.

Down at the Training Grounds, the first year students gathered for their first Flying Class. Most of them were excited, with some notable exceptions. After Madam Hooch positioned them into two rows, each student with a broom on the ground near them, Ben turned towards Jamie and told him ‘I can’t do this, Jamie…’  
‘Come on Ben, you can do this. Just concentrate on the broom, and try to not think about falling.’ The Slytherin was running out of ideas on how to calm the Gryffindor.  
‘Do you promise to catch me if I fall?’ asked Ben in a whisper.  
‘I promise to do my best.’  
‘That’s not very reassuring, but I suppose I have to try sooner or later…’  
Once again, Madam Hooch spoke to him, ‘Even you don’t have anything to fear from today’s lesson, Mr Copper. We will only be picking up our brooms today.’ And so she continued with the class, giving tips and advice on the correct way to hold on to the brooms, or how to raise them from the ground. By the end, Ben wasn’t much more convinced on the idea of flight, though he agreed to read on the subject, since “you usually don’t fall to your death reading”.

The next day, Jamie met Ben for dinner, to try to convince him to try flying for once. Armed with the books Rowan recommended, they sat down and reviewed every bit of information regarding flight with brooms. From there, Jamie had an idea to make Ben more accustomed to heights. A few days later, Professor Flitwick had taught the class the Levitation Charm, and at the end of the lesson Jamie turned to Ben. ‘Are you ready?’  
‘You really think this spell will help me overcome my fear of flying? Jamie, I think you underestimate my cowardice…’  
‘You just need to take this one step at a time, Ben. The first step to flying… is floating,’ reasoned Jamie. ‘If _Wingardium Leviosa_ works as planned, you should levitate a few feet off the ground.’  
‘What if it doesn’t work as planned?’  
With a smirk, Jamie answered. ‘You’ll find out falling is nothing to be afraid of. _Wingardium Leviosa_.’ Ben floated for a few seconds off the ground, rising up three or four feet, before Jamie released the spell. ‘See? You did it, Ben! You’re one step closer to overcoming your fear of flying.’  
‘And even closer to realising my fear of getting sick in public. You’ll have to excuse me, Jamie,’ he said, as he covered his mouth.  
‘Are you rushing to the Training Grounds because you’re so excited for Flying Class?’ joked Jamie.  
‘You don’t want to know what I’m about to do…’ mumbled Ben as he ran out of the classroom.

A while later, a much better-looking Ben greeted his friend on the Training Grounds for their second Flying Class. ‘Well, Ben, are you ready to fly?’ asked Jamie, and the Gryffindor nodded.  
‘I think so. I’m still anxious, but I couldn’t have come this far without you. I can’t believe I’m not afraid of flying!’ Ben said, before Madam Hooch called everyone to their stations: the class was about to start. Ben went pale again. ‘I take it back, Jamie. I’m still afraid.’  
‘I know you can do this, Ben. You just have to believe in yourself.’  
Ben took a deep breath. ‘You’re right. I’ve prepared as much as I can. There’s nothing left but to try. You’ve been inspiring me to do this since the first class. It’s time I took to the skies.

The class passed without incident, and Ben never fell off his broom. When it was over, Jamie congratulated his friend. ‘You did it, Ben! You were fearless!’  
Ben shook his head. ‘Thanks, Jamie, but I was still very, very afraid… But you gave me the support and confidence I needed!’  
Madam Hooch approached the pair, and addressed Ben. ‘Well done, Mr Copper! Where did you discover this newfound bravery?’  
‘I owe it all to Jamie, Madam Hooch. He helped me realise there was nothing to be afraid of.  
Madam Hooch looked at them both, and with a smile said ‘Well done to both of you. Ten points to Gryffindor and ten points to Slytherin. I look forward to seeing you both again on the Training Grounds.’


	2. The Hallowe'en Feast

On Hallowe’en night, the Great Hall had been decorated with giant carved pumpkins all around, grown by Hagrid; and a swarm of bats was flying between the tables. Jamie sat on the Slytherin Table, loading his plate with all kinds of sweets. Penny Haywood, a Hufflepuff girl with blonde braids and blue eyes, sat by his side, smiling from side to side. After his duel with Merula, Penny had approached him to thank him for standing up to the Slytherin bully, and since then they had become friends. ‘Happy Hallowe’en, Jamie!’  
‘You too, Penny! Can you believe this place? It looks amazing…’  
‘I’ve been looking forward to the Hallowe’en Feast all year! What are you most looking forward to?’  
Taking a bite out of his pumpkin tart, Jamie answered ‘I wonder what Dumbledore’s going to do for the entertainment. They say he does something new and amazing every year…’  
‘I heard he’s going to have dancing skeletons perform here, later tonight!’ Penny said, extremely happy to share the rumour.  
Looking around, Jamie proposed ‘Let’s see how everyone else is enjoying the Hallowe’en Feast!’

Filling their plates with candy, they stood up, walking around the tables and talking excitedly with their friends and classmates. Everyone was enjoying themselves, with a couple of exceptions. Even Ben was more cheery than usual, though he still flinched and hid under the table every time a bat flew near. ‘Looks like everyone is having a great time, except for the ones who are always miserable,’ Jamie concluded, glancing quickly at a sour Snape.  
Penny looked at her watch, wondering ‘It’s nearing the end of the feast. When do you think the entertainment will start?’  
Jamie looked at the High Table, and then around the room, searching for the bearded Headmaster. ‘Dumbledore usually introduces the entertainment, but he isn’t here. Maybe I should go and find him…’  
‘Do you want me to come with you, Jamie?’ Penny asked.  
Putting the plate with candy down, he nodded. ‘If you’d like, yeah. I could use your help to find Dumbledore faster.’  
‘We need to hurry back so we don’t miss out on all of the sweets!’

Unsure of where to look for Dumbledore, they decided to go out to the Training Grounds, to start somewhere. Night was starting to fall, and the sky was a dark blue colour. They came out to the cool dusk, talking along the way.

However, once they were out of the castle, the two students froze in place. ‘What…?’ Jamie started to say, unable to think straight. At his side, Penny was muttering ‘…no… no… no…’ In front of them, a pale girl their age with shoulder-length silver hair was unconscious lying on the grass. Standing over the girl, three raggedy wizards turned to the newcomers, grinning evilly. The one in the centre, who seemed to be the leader, was the tallest, and the most vicious-looking. He had matted grey hair and whiskers on his face. His nails were sharpened and dirty, as where his teeth, which he was showing through his grin. The other two looked more underfed, but equally as ragged and dirty. The leader spoke, his voice matching his appearance. ‘Nothing to be afraid of, love. We’re here to free you from your little lives. To show you what true power tastes like…’  
Jamie immediately took out his wand, pointing it at the wizards. ‘Who are you?’ Behind him, Penny was still frozen in place.  
The leader replied ‘Fenrir Greyback. I’ll be takin’ care of you from now on.’ Licking his teeth, he added ‘After I get a bite or two…'  
Jamie felt a shiver run down his spine. Of course, he’d heard the name before, back when the Dark Lord was still alive. Without turning his back to the attackers, Jamie whispered ‘Run, Penny…’  
‘I… can’t leave you… with them…’  
‘Please, Penny… Run!’ Slowly at first, Penny started to walk backwards, turning around and sprinting into the castle to give the alarm. Still threatening them with his wand, Jamie hissed ‘You don’t belong here…’  
‘That’s where you’re wrong, little wizard. Everything belongs to us,’ Greyback said, laughing maniacally. ‘You’ll see the truth soon enough… Or you’ll be dead.’  
‘We’ll stop you!’ Jamie yelled.  
Greyback gave the unconscious girl a kick, licking his teeth again. ‘That’s what this girl said. Now look at her. Lying on the ground like a pretty little slab of meat…’ One of his associates growled, sounding more like a beast than a man, and Greyback nodded. ‘You’re right, friend. What sort of leader would I be if I didn’t let my pack have a bite too…?’  
‘I won’t let you hurt anyone else at Hogwarts…’ Jamie said, his more a look of disgust than fear. Still, in the back of his mind, thoughts raced around, trying to find the way that a first-year could possibly defeat three grown men, especially if they were to lunge at him. Going back on the few spells he’d learned so far, he came up with two or three that could buy him some time.

Greyback motioned at the one that had growled, giving him permission to take care of the student. The man growled again, about to attack. He lunged forward, hands like claws in front of him.  
‘ _Melofors!_ ’ Jamie pointed his wand at the man’s head, stepping out of the way as his spell hit its mark and encased the attacker's head in a carved pumpkin. The attacker couldn’t stop himself, as he fell face (or rather, pumpkin) first into the ground, blinded by the vegetable.  
Seeing his comrade fail spectacularly, Greyback chuckled. ‘You’re strong for a little one… You might just make a valuable addition to my pack. If not, you’ll at least make a decent meal…’  
Jamie pointed his wand at him, yelling ‘Eat this then! _Slugulus Eructo!_ ’  
The brutal man dodged the spell lazily, laughing at him as he got closer step by step. ‘That wasn’t smart at all. Now, I’m gonna have to do this the slow way… You can scream if you want. It makes it taste better…’ He stopped in his tracks, frowning as he sniffed the air. ‘Dumbledore…’ he growled. The three men run away, into the Forbidden Forest.  
Jamie saw them leave, his heart still racing. A kind voice behind him asked ‘Are you all right, James?’  
Turning around, still breathing heavily, Jamie nodded at the Headmaster. ‘I’m fine… If that was Greyback, then they were-’  
‘Werewolves. I’m aware. I just removed five of them from Hagrid’s hut,’ Dumbledore said, kneeling besides the girl on the ground, and checking for injuries. ‘What happened to Miss Lobosca?’  
‘I… don’t know. She was just lying there…’  
Jamie heard the Headmaster mutter to himself ‘She doesn’t appear to have been bitten…’ Dumbledore stood up, turning to Jamie. ‘Return to your dormitory, James.’  
‘Can I do anything to help?’  
‘No,’ Dumbledore said plainly. ‘I’ll bring in an expert from the Werewolf Capture Unit… Now, off you go. I’ll take Miss Lobosca to Madam Pomfrey.’

The next morning, which was on Thursday, a message asking to meet in the Charms Classroom reached Jamie, signed by the Werewolf Capture Unit expert. Entering the classroom while on his break, Jamie saw a tall man standing inside, wearing purple robes with a paw emblem on the shoulder sides, and a matching custodian helmet, the emblem on the front featuring a black howling wolf head against a white background. The man had light skin, sunken cheeks, emerald green eyes, and a huge, brown moustache. The adult greeted the teen offering a hand, saying with a deep voice ‘You must be James Smith.’  
Shaking his hand, Jamie asked ‘And you are…?’  
‘Cecil Lee. I’m here by Headmaster Dumbledore’s request on behalf of the Werewolf Capture Unit,’ he said with pride. ‘We’re part of the Beast Division of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures charged with-‘  
‘Capturing werewolves,’ Jamie finished, growing tired of his speech.  
‘Affirmative! I’d like to speak to you about the attack you witnessed in the Training Grounds during the Hallowe’en Feast…’  
‘Of course. What would you like to know?’  
‘I want to know everything, Mr Smith. I think you’ll find that I’m quite matriculate.’  
Jamie frowned. ‘M…matriculate?’  
‘What?’  
‘Do you mean, meticulous?’  
Cecil Lee waved the correction off. ‘Let’s not confuse ourselves with words and their meanings. That’s playing right into the werewolves’ paws…’

With an exasperated sigh, Jamie accepted the request and started recalling everything that had transpired the night before. Mr Lee gave Jamie the impression that the “expert” was not exactly bright, or competent. From time to time, Cecil would make a comment or two about his job, or his dislike for werewolves, making quite clear his disgust of the creatures (as well as the incompetence of the whole Werewolf Capture Unit, though that wasn’t on purpose). When Jamie was done with his testimony, Cecil shook his head. ‘Fenrir Greyback. I should have known. He’s the most savage werewolf there is…’  
‘Have you faced him before?’  
‘Many times.’  
‘Why haven’t you captured him?’  
Lee shuddered. ‘Have you seen how big he is? Those cold eyes, and that sinister smirk. He’s far too frightening…’  
‘Well, why will this time be any different?’  
Cecil pointed at Jamie, smiling confidently. ‘Because this time, you’re going to help me. They say you’re the best and brightest that Hogwarts has to offer…’  
Jamie tried to say ‘But I’m only a firs-’ before being interrupted by Cecil, who kept talking, oblivious to Jamie’s comment.  
‘Even brighter than my nephew Barnaby; and he’s the sharpest member of the Lee family by a wide margin. Help me capture Greyback, and I can promise you a place in the Werewolf Capture Unit…’  
Jamie couldn’t help but reply with sarcasm ‘Oh, that would be amazing, Mr Lee! I can’t imagine a more exciting job than capturing werewolves for a living…’  
Mr Lee didn’t catch the sarcasm, apparent by his happy response. ‘It’s the best job there is. I mean, sure, most of us get bitten, or eaten, or get lost in the woods or towns with a lot of winding streets… But I wouldn’t have it any other way.’ His voice turned from upbeat to hateful. ‘Werewolves are a scourge on wizardkind. We need to eliminate every last one of them before they do the same to us…’  
‘How do you know they’re all bad?’ Jamie asked.  
‘How do you know the sky is blue?’  
‘Because I look at it…?’  
‘Exactly,’ Cecil said simply, happy at his own reasoning.  
‘I’m not sure I understand…’  
‘Worry not, Mr Smith. I’m an expert at the Ministry, and I hardly understand anything.’  
‘Clearly…’ Jamie muttered.  
‘Learn everything you can about werewolves, and join me for the investigation. If we don’t stop these werewolves, they’ll infect everyone in Hogwarts…’

With the help of Rowan, he studied for the rest of the morning during their breaks from classes, writing down everything that seemed useful to know about werewolves. During lunch, he searched for the Ministry expert, finding him in the Training Grounds talking to the girl that had been attacked on Hallowe’en. Now without the imminent threat of a werewolf charging at him, Jamie could take a better look at her. Other than the unusual silvery hair, she had big blue eyes, and was wearing casual clothes, and a moonstone pendant hung around her neck. Jamie approached the pair, saying ‘I learned everything I could about werewolves and Fenrir Greyback, Mr Lee…’  
‘Well done. I trust you remember Miss Lobosca…’  
‘Yes. Of course. Hi…’ Jamie said, a bit shy.  
‘Thank you so much for saving me! I’m Chiara…’ she said, offering a hand.  
Jamie shook it, blushing slightly at the gratitude. ‘I’m Jamie. Nice to meet you. Again. You know what I mean…’  
Cecil steered the conversation elsewhere. ‘Enough of the pleasantries. We have werewolves to capture. I’ve asked Miss Lobosca to tell us everything she remembers. We should also search the area for clues to Greyback’s whereabouts.’  
‘What should I be looking for?’ Jamie asked.  
‘Fur. Fangs. Werewolf bits and bobs…’ Cecil shrugged.  
Thinking back to the attack, and remembering that none of the werewolves had transformed, Jamie muttered ‘Good thing you’re an expert…’ as he began his search, while talking to Chiara from time to time. Getting the clearer picture of what happened after talking with her, Jamie said ‘Thanks for telling us what happened, Chiara. It will definitely help.’  
‘Unfortunately, we didn’t find any clues to the werewolves’ whereabouts…’ Cecil said, stroking his chin. ‘I never noticed how well those words go together… From now on, I think I’ll call a werewolves’ whereabouts, werewolfabouts… Save time for capturing werewolves by combining two words into one. It’s ideas like that that make me the pride of the Werewolf Capture Unit.’  
The two teens had listened to his ramblings with an eyebrow raised, and Jamie said simply ‘Brilliant.’  
‘What do you do with the werewolves after you capture them?’ Chiara asked, slightly concerned.  
‘It depends on the werewolf, really. Some can be released back into society, shunned as they should be… Others are too far gone… If it were up to me, I’d eradicate all of them. There’s nothing left of a person once they’re bitten. Nothing good, anyway…’  
Chiara asked Jamie ‘Do you think all werewolves are bad, Jamie?’  
Jamie thought about the question, answering ‘Don’t know about most of them, but Greyback and his seven friends certainly are…’  
Cecil nodded. ‘They’re the worst, but from personal experience, all werewolves are dangerous.’  
‘You would think all wizards were bad too if the only one you’d met was He Who Must Not Be Named,’ Chiara argued.  
Cecil ignored her, giving an idea. ‘We need to ask around and see if anyone else has had any contact with these werewolves… It’s only a matter of time before Greyback comes back for our throats.’ He stroked his chin again, going off on another tangent. ‘Hmm, Greyback comes back… Could be another werewolfabouts opportunity. Greybackback maybe? No, that’s not as good, is it?’  
‘No. Definitely not,’ Jamie confirmed.  
‘I’ll keep working on it while we continue our investigation… Keep safe, Miss Lobosca. There’s werewolves about.’  
‘I’m aware. They attacked me.’  
‘Mr Smith and I will make sure it doesn’t happen again. Let’s continue our investigation…’  
Jamie said ‘I have Flying Class next, and it’s not wise to keep Madam Hooch waiting. I better stay here, Mr Lee.’  
Cecil waited with him, reasoning ‘Madam Hooch rhymes with Pooch, which reminds me of werewolves, so let’s continue our investigation by interviewing her…’

They waited around for the students to come for Flying Class, and when Madam Hooch arrived, Jamie and Cecil approached her. ‘Madam Hooch?’ the man asked.  
‘Who are you?’ she asked.  
‘Cecil Lee. I’m with the Werewolf Capture Unit. We’re part of the Beast Division of the Department for the-’  
‘I have a lesson to teach, Mr Lee. What do you want?’ she said in an exasperated tone.  
‘We’d like to ask you a few questions about werewolves…’  
Madam Hooch scowled. ‘Is this some sort of joke?’  
Cecil replied seriously ‘No, ma’am. There is absolutely nothing humorous about normal people turning into wolf-people.’  
‘Do you have a son named Barnaby?’ she asked, narrowing her eyes.  
‘He’s my nephew. How did you know?’ Cecil said, surprised.  
‘Lucky guess, I suppose… Why would I know anything about werewolves?’  
‘You’re the toughest teacher at Hogwarts, Madam Hooch. I’m sure that you’ve tangled with a werewolf before…’ Jamie tried to compliment her.  
‘I don’t tangle with anything, Mr Smith. If a werewolf came at me, I’d blast it back to whatever cave it came from.’  
‘Impressive! Would you be interested in joining the Werewolf Capture Unit?’ Cecil asked with hope.  
‘No.’  
‘Very well, then…’ the man said, taken aback by the short reply.  
‘If you want to talk about this werewolf foolishness, it can wait until after class…’ Madam Hooch said, turning to her class. Jamie placed himself in his usual spot, with his broom, and listened carefully to the lesson.

After the hour had passed, and everyone was done flying, Cecil and Jamie approached Madam Hooch again, and she said ‘Class is finished. Ask your questions…’  
‘Where were you when the Hallowe’en Feast attack took place?’ Cecil asked, taking out a notebook and a quill.  
‘At the Feast, drinking Pumpkin Juice,’ she recalled.  
‘Oh, I wouldn’t have pegged you for a fan of Pumpkin Juice…’ Cecil commented, earning another scowl from the Flying instructor.  
‘I’ll give you one more question…’ she warned.  
‘Um, have you ever seen a werewolf on school grounds?’  
‘If I have, it’s been in human form.’  
Jamie spoke up, more thinking aloud than talking to anyone. ‘That’s interesting. I hadn’t thought about werewolves walking around Hogwarts undetected in human form…’  
‘Don’t be too hard on yourself. Madam Hooch and I are highly-trained professionals in our given disciplines,’ Cecil reassured him.  
‘Don’t put us in the same sentence,’ Madam Hooch hissed.  
‘Yes. Of course. Thank you for your time…’ Cecil mumbled. ‘If you happen to remember anything else, you can always contact me at-‘  
‘I won’t.’  
‘…very well, then… Come on, Mr Smith. Hopefully, Mr Filch will be more helpful…’

Running into Filch and his cat in a side corridor, Jamie and Cecil called out to him. ‘What do you want?’ the sour caretaker asked.  
‘We’d like to ask you a few questions about the recent werewolf attack. I’m Cecil Lee with the-‘  
Mrs Norris hissed at the man in purple. ‘Mrs Norris doesn’t like you,’ Filch noted.  
Cecil frowned at the cat. ‘Animals tend to have that reaction to me. I’ve been told I have a very masculine scent.’  
‘That’s another way of saying you stink,’ Filch said bluntly.  
Cecil looked down, thoughtful. ‘Huh. I never thought of it that way…’  
‘It’s the way priggish twits demean your character. They call it a euphonium.’  
‘Euphemism,’ Jamie corrected.  
‘What?’  
‘It’s called a euphemism. I’m pretty sure a euphonium is a musical instrument.’  
‘That ain’t right,’ Filch shook his head, while his cat hissed at Jamie.  
‘I’m fairly certain Mr Filch and his hissing cat are correct, Mr Smith. There’s no such thing as a euphemism.’  
Jamie raised his hands in surrender. ‘You three are the experts…’  
Filch grinned. ‘That’s right.’  
‘Do you know anything about werewolves, Mr Filch?’ Jamie asked, trying to return to the original subject of the conversation.  
‘Why should I tell you anythin’?’  
‘I’m sure Mr Lee would let you use your shackles to restrain the werewolves…’  
Cecil beamed up with the idea. ‘Ooh, yes! I would love to use some good shackles…’  
Filch thought about it, a slight smile forming. ‘I have been keeping them oiled to use them any time, so it could be arranged… Fine, I’ll tell you everything I know about werewolves. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hagrid had a whole pack o’ ‘em living in his filthy hut. I also heard Flitwick knows a thing or two about werewolves. I never trusted him…’  
‘Thanks, Mr Filch. That might actually be quite helpful…’ Jamie thanked him.  
‘Absolutely. We’ll speak with Professor Flitwick, and see what he knows about werewolves at Hogwarts.’  
‘You better let me know when to use me shackles…’ Filch warned, his cat hissing one last time.

Charms Class was next in his timetable, so Jamie took Cecil along to talk to Flitwick. When they entered the classroom, Cecil pointed at a seat in the last row, saying ‘I remember sitting in that very seat as a student in Charms. Unfortunately, that’s about all I remember…’ They approached the tiny professor on top of a pile of books, and Cecil raised his helmet as a greeting. ‘Professor Flitwick?’  
‘Yes?’  
‘I’m Cecil Lee with the Werewolf Capture Unit. We’d like to ask you a few questions about the recent attack…’  
‘I was preparing the Frog Choir to perform at the Hallowe’en Feast, so I’m not sure I can be of much help…’ Flitwick mused.  
‘Not to worry. Everyone else has been fairly useless thus far, so our expectations for you couldn’t be lower,’ Cecil said in what seemed like a reassuring tone, though it didn’t quite match the words.  
Flitwick raised an eyebrow, saying mockingly ‘I’m flattered. I’ll tell you everything I know about werewolves at Hogwarts after class…’

The class went by quickly, with Jamie paying attention to his lesson and Cecil standing around as an spectator in a corner of the room. When it was over, they came over to the teacher’s desk. ‘Class has ended. What would you like to know, Mr Lee?’  
‘Have you ever seen a werewolf on school grounds?’  
‘If I had, I’m not certain I would tell you.’  
‘And why is that?’ asked Cecil, offended.  
‘Because werewolves are victims. I don’t believe they should be trapped, persecuted, and destroyed.’  
‘They might be victims, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re bloodthirsty killers,’ Cecil argued back.  
‘You’re wearing a uniform, so it must be true. Tell me, Mr Smith,’ the teacher turned to his student. ‘Have you been impressed with Mr Lee’s expertise?’  
‘Not at all. I’m not sure he has a clue what he’s doing,’ said Jamie without restraints. ‘If we’re depending on Mr Lee to save us from werewolves, we’re doomed.’  
Cecil looked at the teen, hurt. ‘I’ll remember that, Mr Smith…’  
‘You should visit Hagrid. He has verifiable evidence that something wonderful can come from werewolves,’ Flitwick advised them with a smile.

It was starting to get dark when Jamie and Cecil came to the Clocktower Courtyard, where Hagrid and Chiara were waiting for them, the latter with a wolf puppy in her arms. ‘What’s the meaning of this?’ Cecil asked, confused as always.  
‘Professor Flitwick says yeh think werewolves are all bad, so we thought we’d show yeh that’s not the case,’ Hagrid explained.  
‘Where did you get a wolf cub?’ asked Jamie.  
‘He followed me out of the Forbidden Forest one day. He still lives there, but he comes to visit every once in a while,’ Chiara said, petting the back of the cub’s head.  
‘Anytime he catches sight o’ Chiara. She has a way with animals,’ Hagrid added with a chuckle.  
Jamie wondered ‘What’s his name?’  
‘Borf,’ Chiara answered.  
‘Why Borf?’ Cecil questioned, looking at the wolf with caution. The creature barked, in a high pitched tone, ‘ _Borf!_ ’  
Jamie laughed. ‘That answers that.’  
‘It’s a cute pup,’ Cecil admitted. ‘But what does it have to do with werewolves?’  
Chiara put the wolf down on the fountain, replying ‘It is a werewolf.’  
Hagrid nodded. ‘In a matter o’ speakin’.’  
Jamie frowned. ‘I don’t understand…’  
‘We’ll explain,’ Chiara assured. ‘And feel free to pet Borf. He doesn’t bite.’  
‘When werewolves mate at the full moon, they can ‘ave wolf cubs like Borf,’ Hagrid started explaining.  
‘Yes, and Borf isn’t the only wolf like this living in the Forbidden Forest,’ Chiara said, and Borf barked again happily, waving his tail. Chiara continued. ‘They aren’t any more aggressive than normal wolves, and don’t attack humans.’  
‘They’re like regular wolves, but even smarter,’ Hagrid noted.  
‘And what makes you think this pup was spawned from werewolves?’ Cecil asked.  
‘Because rumour is, Professor Dumbledore is the one who set the pups loose in the Forest!’ Hagrid said, before correcting himself. ‘I shouldn’ta said that.’  
‘Well, I still don’t believe it. If this pup had werewolf blood, it would be clawing for our throats…’ Cecil said, not convinced.  
‘Have you considered that everything with werewolf blood might not be as terrible as Fenrir Greyback?’ Chiara asked, worried about the answer.  
‘Why would I consider an idea that’s the opposite of what I’ve already decided?’ Cecil shrugged, genuinely confused at the question.  
‘Because you might be wrong?’ proposed Chiara.  
Cecil scoffed. ‘I don’t have time to be wrong. Let’s get back to our investigation…’  
Sitting down besides Borf and petting it, Jamie said ‘Thanks, Mr Lee, but I think I’ll stay here with Chiara and Hagrid. I’ll meet you later.’  
‘All right, but if I have a chance to capture Fenrir Greyback, I won’t wait for you,’ Cecil warned.  
‘I understand,’ Jamie chuckled.  
Cecil started walking away, but he turned one last time, worried. ‘On second thought, I’ll almost certainly wait for you because Fenrir Greyback is terrifying.’  
Jamie chuckled again. ‘I understand…’  
Cecil walked away, and Chiara tugged at Jamie’s sleeve. ‘Come with me to the corridor, Jamie. I need to tell you a secret…’  
‘Yeh can tell me too,’ Hagrid said.  
Chiara made a grimace, looking at Hagrid. ‘No offence, Hagrid, but you’re terrible at keeping secrets.’  
‘Yeh make a fair point…’

Sneaking around the castle, walking into a secluded corridor, Chiara turned to Jamie, who asked ‘You wanted to tell me a secret…?’  
‘I don’t know if I want to, but I think I have to… It’s something I’ve never told anyone before. Something that could get me into a lot of trouble… Do you promise to keep my secret, no matter how bad it might be?’  
Jamie frowned at the request, starting to suspect the girl. Still, the girl seemed like a good person, so he had no problem in keeping a secret. ‘I’ll keep your secret, Chiara.’  
‘Thank you, Jamie. I knew I could trust you.’ She looked from side to side, nervous, checking that they were indeed alone. Whispering, she confessed ‘I was bitten when I was a little girl by a werewolf… But I swear I’ve never hurt anyone…! I’ve been able to treat my condition with Wolfsbane Potion.’  
Jamie's eyes went wide. ‘So, you’re a...’  
Chiara nodded sadly. ‘I’m a werewolf. But I swear I’m nothing like Fenrir Greyback…’  
Jamie gave her a comforting smile. ‘I believe you, Chiara. Why did Greyback attack you during the feast if you’re a werewolf too?’  
‘I saw them walk out of the Forbidden Forest towards Hogwarts, so I tried to stop them, but I wasn’t strong enough…’ she said, looking down, ashamed. ‘I should have run for help instead.’  
‘Well, I’m glad you told me… I said I would keep your secret, and I will.’  
‘Thank you, Jamie, but I need something else from you…’  
‘What is it?’  
‘I said I treat my condition with Wolfsbane Potion… But I’ve run out. The ingredients can be hard to find, and I don’t know how to brew it myself…’  
‘I’ll help you, Chiara. What do you need?’  
Chiara smiled, relieved. ‘Thank you so much, Jamie. I can’t tell you how much this means to me… I’ve already gathered almost all of the ingredients. The last thing I need is Aconite from Potions Class. Then we’ll need to find someone who’s skilled enough to brew Wolfsbane Potion…’

Potions Class was the first thing in the morning the next day, and Jamie entered the class with the rest of his fellow classmates. As they were preparing their cauldron, Jamie leaned to Rowan, whispering ‘I need your help.’  
‘Of course, Jamie! Should we research Bezoars and other undigested clumps of matter that accumulate inside of a digestive system?’  
‘…No. I need you to distract Snape, so I can gather Aconite for a friend.’  
Rowan nodded, asking ‘How should I distract Snape?’  
Jamie shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Just pick a fight with Merula. Snape will be too busy stopping you to notice me taking the ingredient.’  
Rowan nodded again, this time looking angry. ‘I have been meaning to get back at her for calling me a four-eyed Flobberworm…’  
‘As soon as he’s finished lecturing, distract him, and I’ll gather the Aconite…’ Jamie said, sitting down on his stool.

The hour passed at a snail’s pace, but it was finally coming to a close. Jamie nudged Rowan. Rowan stood up, approaching Merula, who was packing her things in her bag. Pushing her, he raised his voice, loud enough for everyone to hear him, his voice trembling with hate. ‘You think I look like a four-eyed Flobberworm? Well, I think you look like a surly Murtlap. I think I’ll call you Murtrula.’  
Merula looked at him, half annoyed, half amused. ‘What is wrong with you? Besides the obvious.’  
Snape went to their table, while Jamie sneaked behind the teacher and rummaged around the shelves, while Rowan continued with his distraction. ‘Nothing is wrong with me. I’m just finally standing up to you, and that dead starfish on your head.’  
‘Watch your mouth, Khanna!’ Merula said, pointing a finger at him.  
‘Shut your mouth. Both of you,’ Snape interrupted, unaware that Jamie had removed a jar from the shelves and had hidden it in his robes.  
Jamie went back to his friend’s side, whispering in his ear ‘Thanks, Rowan. I got the Aconite.’  
‘Great! I sweat a lot when I get confrontational…’ Rowan whispered back. Leaving the bespectacled boy to deal with Snape, Jamie packed his things, and went searching for Penny, believing in her skill to brew the potion.

Jamie waited for Penny on the Hufflepuff Table for lunch, and when the girl arrived, he greeted her. ‘Thanks for meeting me, Penny.’  
‘Of course, Jamie.’ Her face fell, ashamed. ‘I’m so sorry I didn’t go with you to help with those werewolves…’  
‘It’s okay, I understand. But there is another way you can help me.’  
‘Of course. Anything,’ she said, returning to her usual cheerie self.  
‘I need you to help me brew a Wolfsbane Potion.’  
‘Anything that doesn’t remotely involve those werewolves…’ Her face fell again.  
‘Please, Penny. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.’  
‘Jamie, that is a very difficult potion, even for competent wizards. And I haven’t forgotten about the attack from the other night. You’ll have to convince me why I should ever help a werewolf…’  
‘Penny, you’re brilliant with Potions. Even Snape says so, and he never says anything good about non-Slytherins. With your help, I’m sure we can make a good enough Wolfsbane Potion.’  
‘But why do you need this potion?’  
Jamie looked away, ashamed at having to lie to his friend. ‘I think it might help me fight Greyback, but I can’t say how…’  
Penny thought about it. ‘I do want to help protect Hogwarts from Fenrir Greyback, but… I don’t know, Jamie. Werewolves are dangerous…’  
Looking back into her eyes, Jamie assured her ‘I’ll make sure you’re safe, don’t you worry. I just need you to help me with the potion, not fight the werewolves.’  
Penny sighed. ‘All right, Jamie. I’ll help you brew Wolfsbane Potion. But I can’t make any promises. It’s extremely complicated. And please promise me you won’t try to fight Fenrir Greyback alone…’  
‘I won’t fight him alone, Penny. Cecil Lee is here from the Werewolf Capture Unit. Although, I’m not sure how much help he’ll be…’  
‘Please, be careful, Jamie. I can’t lose my friend to those werewolves…’  
‘I will. Now, let’s find Chiara, and brew Wolfsbane Potion.’ Jamie and Penny stood up, and decided to meet a while later in the Artefact Room, after Penny had retrieved her potion-making kit.

Inside the Artefact Room, Penny prepared her cauldron, opening a heavy book on the floor next to it. The door opened, and Jamie and Chiara stepped inside. Chiara smiled at Penny. ‘Thank you so much for helping us brew Wolfsbane Potion, Penny.’  
‘I wouldn’t say it’s my pleasure, but I don’t really enjoy anything to do with werewolves…’  
Chiara looked at Jamie, slightly confused. ‘Did Jamie not tell you…?’  
‘I said I’d keep your secret, Chiara. And I did,’ Jamie explained.  
‘What secret? I thought I knew all of the gossip…’ Penny mused.  
‘I’m a werewolf, Penny,’ Chiara said nonchalantly.  
Penny clearly thought it was a bad joke, as she said ‘That’s not funny.’  
Chiara nodded. ‘Trust me, I know.’  
‘How? When?’ Penny asked, stepping back carefully.  
‘I was bitten when I was a little girl,’ Chiara said. ‘That’s why I need the Wolfsbane Potion. It doesn’t stop me from transforming, but it helps me stay in control…’  
‘How many other students at Hogwarts are werewolves?!’ Penny asked, alarmed.  
‘None. That I know of… I just don’t want to hurt anyone. And I want to help stop Greyback. I just can’t brew the potion on my own.’  
Penny went silent for a few seconds, considering the whole situation. Sighing, she gave in. ‘I can teach you…’

As they brewed the potion, under the careful guidance of Penny, they made sure to follow every step to the letter, for the consequences of brewing it incorrectly could be lethal. After a stressful evening, the light blue steaming potion sat in the cauldron, apparently ready; a more than impressive achievement for any potioneer, especially first-year students. According to their calculations, Chiara should have enough for the seven doses she needed to take before the full moon. Looking at the liquid, Chiara said, smiling, ‘Thank you, Penny. I’m sure you brewed it perfectly.’ She took seven bottles from a brown bag at her side, filling them with the fluid, and putting them away, save for one. Opening the cork, she looked inside, before taking a swig and drinking its contents in a single go. Her face contorted in disgust at the taste. ‘I will never get used to that taste…’ she said, after finishing it.  
‘Did it work?’ Jamie asked, expectant.  
‘I’m not dead, so that’s a good sign. We won’t know for sure until the next full moon… If it worked, I’ll be able to help fight Greyback and his followers…’ Her voice started to break a little, as she looked at him with sad eyes. ‘If it didn’t, I won’t be able to control myself. I’ll need you to stop me by any means necessary, Jamie. Will… will you kill me to stop me from killing someone else?’  
The request felt like a punch in the chest. Not because he didn’t even know how to kill anyone, but because he hadn’t even considered it, not even for Greyback. Shaking his head, he decided ‘I’ll find another way. Maybe Cecil will be able to capture you.’  
‘I hope you’re right. But if not, please do whatever it takes to stop me from hurting someone…’  
Feeling uncomfortable, Jamie changed the subject. ‘I need to find Cecil. Hopefully, he knows where Greyback is planning to attack again…’

Saying his goodbyes to the two girls, he left the Artefact Room, ready to continue his investigation with Cecil. Finding him in the Courtyard after dark, Jamie went to see him. Cecil saw him coming, and greeted him. ‘Ah! There you are. I have some very important news…’  
‘Did your investigations uncover when Fenrir Greyback and his followers will attack again?’  
‘No, my investigations have been absolutely useless,’ Cecil said with a sigh. ‘The good news is that whenever those murderous werewolves attack, you’re going to be well-prepared. I’ll teach you a spell I learned from the most courageous and gifted wizards of our time…’  
‘Professor Dumbledore?’  
‘Gilderoy Lockhart!’  
‘Gilderoy Lockhart is more gifted than Professor Dumbledore?’  
‘Of course he is! Just ask him!’  
‘What’s the spell?’ Jamie asked, rolling his eyes.  
‘The Homorphus charm. The only spell known to wizardkind that is capable of curing werewolves.’  
Jamie’s eyes widened, full of hope. ‘It can cure werewolves?! Why not just use that instead of capturing them?’  
‘Well, not all of us are as gifted as Gilderoy Lockhart… He says he always casts the spell perfectly, but when I cast it, it only temporarily returns a werewolf to human form. In any case, it can be quite valuable for stopping a werewolf in its tracks.’  
‘I suppose I’ll try anything to stop Greyback and his followers…’ Jamie commented with a sigh, taking out his wand.  
‘Excellent! Let’s try to do the great Gilderoy Lockhart proud, and practise the Homorphus Charm!’

Cecil Lee was as good of a teacher as he was a Werewolf hunter, which is to say he was just as laughably incompetent as usual. However, the man took his job much more seriously than Jamie gave him credit for, probably because he didn’t have the brains to see any hint of irony anywhere. The complexity of the spell didn’t help. The wand movement was convoluted, and the incantation a bit complicated for Jamie’s level. The teen kept trying and trying, finally getting the hang of the spell, or it seemed so for Cecil, who said ‘Well done! Gilderoy Lockhart would be moderately proud! Please cast the Homorphus Charm, Mr Smith…’  
‘There aren’t any werewolves here. You want me to cast it on thin air?’  
‘Unless you know of a willing werewolf to test it on, yes.’  
‘Oh, I heard Gilderoy Lockhart is a werewolf,’ Jamie quipped.  
Failing to see the joke, Cecil was offended at the insinuation. ‘Blasphemy! Gilderoy Lockhart is everything werewolves aren’t! Kind! Intelligent! Incredibly well-groomed!’  
‘…I was only joking…’  
Cecil’s face remained serious, doubting the teen’s sanity. ‘Please, just cast the Homorphus Charm…’  
Jamie did so, but nothing happened. ‘Did I do it right?’ he asked.  
‘I have no idea,’ Cecil admitted.  
‘Great.’  
‘I suppose we’ll know it didn’t work if you cast it on Greyback, and he tears you to shreds.’  
‘Even better.’  
Cecil looked at his notes, and then at the night sky. ‘The next full moon will be here in a few days. Next time we meet, be prepared to battle Fenrir Greyback…’

A week later, Jamie received an owl from Cecil, asking him to meet in the Training Grounds immediately, because he had found Fenrir Greyback. Sneaking through the castle corridors at dusk with great care, he managed to avoid detection as he went to the meeting. Cecil was waiting for him at one of the castles entrances. Silently, they walked outside, where they saw the trio from the night of Hallowe’en walking out of the Forbidden Forest towards them. When they were getting closer, they heard Greyback mutter ‘Well, well, well… We ain’t the only ones who came out to watch the full moon…’  
Extending his left arm to protect Jamie, Cecil took out his wand with his right. ‘Stay back, Mr Smith…’ The man raised his wand up to the heavens like a sword, shouting ‘For Hogwarts! For the Ministry of Magic! For the Werewolf Capture Unit! For Gilderoy Lockhart!’ Pointing his wand at the werewolves, he casted the spell he had taught Jamie, creating sparks in front of him. The spell, however, did not reach the werewolves, as one’s supposed to use it in direct contact with a transformed werewolf. ‘Uh oh…’  
‘What was that supposed to be?’ Greyback asked, chuckling menacingly.  
‘The Homorphus Charm…?’ Cecil said, unsure.  
The werewolf leader pointed at him, growling ‘Get a bite of this idiot. If he squirms too much, kill him.’ His two accomplices nodded, grinning, approaching Cecil and surrounding him.  
‘Cecil!’ Jamie cried, being left alone with Greyback.  
‘Don’t worry about me, Mr Smith! Everything is under control!’ Cecil yelled, punching one of the werewolves while trying to hold the other one away.  
The last light from the sky faded, and Greyback looked up at the night sky. ‘Looks like it’s just you and me, little wizard. What say we let the full moon come out all the way…’

The moonlight illuminated the area, and all three men started grunting and growling. Their bodies started to change, slowly turning into wolves with cries of pain and Greyback’s laugh. Their clothes were ripped appart, leaving only three fully transformed werewolves, with Greyback being the biggest of the three. Cecil began casting spells at the two wolves that surrounded him, but Jamie didn’t pay attention to him. He only had eyes for the enormous brown wolf that was staring hungrily at him, howling. Before Jamie could do anything to defend himself, someone else did. A white wolf jumped from behind Jamie, lunging at Greyback with a snarl. The fight between the two beasts was short and intense, with the white wolf biting and scratching at Greyback before being sent away like a puppet, lying motionless on the ground. 

‘Chiara…?’ Jamie managed to say, before Greyback turned his attention back to the teen. The wolf charged forward, knocking the boy to the ground. However, before it could get a bite out of him, Jamie sent it flying back a few feet with a Knockback Jinx to the snout, pouring all of his power on the spell. The two other wolves that were attacking Cecil were sent back as well with the wizard’s spells, and the three wolves regrouped as they stared at the two humans, ready to attack again.  
Cecil stood again in front of Jamie, his robes dishevelled, pointing at the werewolves. ‘ _Incancerous! Incancerous! Incancerous!_ ’ Ropes were conjured around the wolves’ bodies and snouts, immobilising them.  
‘You… you captured him…’ Jamie said, impressed by the professional.  
‘We captured him,’ Cecil corrected him with a tired smile, patting Jamie's shoulder. ‘You might just be the next Gilderoy Lockhart.’ Walking over to the transformed Chiara, he pointed at her. ‘I saw this one trying to help you…’  
‘She’s my friend,’ Jamie simply stated. ‘You aren’t going to capture her, are you?’  
‘It’s my sworn duty to capture every werewolf I see… But I think I’ll help this one to Dumbledore’s Office instead.’ He pointed at the other three, who were still struggling with the ropes around them. ‘My colleagues in the Werewolf Capture Unit will bring Greyback and his followers to the Ministry. We couldn’t have done this without you, Mr Smith… Go enjoy the Hallowe’en festivities.’  
‘But Hallowe’en was nine days ago…’ Jamie muttered, but Cecil couldn’t hear him. The wizard was levitating all four werewolves, taking them away. Confused, sore and tired, but victorious, Jamie returned to the castle interior, to his Common Room for a change of clothes.

It was almost time for supper, and Jamie was walking towards the Great Hall, alone. Along the way, he ran into Professor Dumbledore, who was happy to see him alive. ‘Professor Dumbledore!’  
‘Ah, James. Mr Lee told me what happened. Congratulations, I should say. There’s a well-earned celebration waiting for you in the Great Hall. I suggest you come quickly.’ The Headmaster winked. ‘You wouldn’t want to miss the entertainment, as I understand.’  
‘I… will do so, Professor. Thank you.’

Entering the Great Hall together with Dumbledore, Jamie saw the enormous room decorated with the jack o’ lanterns, and the swarm of bats flying between the tables, which were filled with plates of candy and sweets. Jamie saw Cecil, now much cleaner, talking with a very human Chiara. ‘Welcome to the Hallowe’en Feast, James!’ Dumbledore said with a smile.  
‘We’re having another one?’ asked an incredulous Jamie.  
‘It only seemed appropriate since we never got to properly finish the first… You can make these sort of determinations when you’re the Headmaster,’ Dumbledore said with a chuckle.  
‘I’m just happy we don’t have to worry about Fenrir Greyback and his followers…’  
‘And we are happy to have a cunning Slytherin like you at Hogwarts,’ Dumbledore said, resting his palm on the student’s shoulder. ‘Now please, enjoy a proper Hallowe’en Feast!’  
Dumbledore walked up to the High Table, while Jamie walked around the Tables, eating and chatting with his friends. Walking up to Chiara, he said in a whisper ‘Thank you so much for helping me against Greyback, Chiara.’  
In the same tone, Chiara replied ‘Of course, Jamie. That’s what werewolf friends are for.’  
Cecil Lee approached them, smiling wide and shaking Jamie’s hand. ‘Congratulations, Mr Smith!’  
‘For… what?’  
‘For becoming an honorary member of the Werewolf Capture Unit! We got you a uniform and everything!’  
‘Thanks, Mr Lee!’ Jamie thanked the gesture, though he was doubtful he could ever be persuaded to put on those purple robes with that helmet.  
‘You’re quite welcome. Now, where did I put it? I could have sworn it was in my hand. Maybe it was the other hand…’ He said, looking around. Not finding it in either hand, he shrugged. ‘Ah, well, you’ll have a special gift waiting for you at the end of the Hallowe’en Feast! As long as I can find it…’  
‘Well, at least we captured Fenrir Greyback,’ Jamie celebrated.  
‘Oh, Greyback already escaped,’ Cecil said without much thought.  
‘What?!’  
‘Yes, it happens quite often… Our department is adequate at capturing werewolves, but we’ve never been very good at holding them. We did hold onto most of his followers, so it will be some time before Greyback is bold enough to attack Hogwarts…’

‘Attention, everyone!’ Professor Dumbledore interrupted their conversation when he addressed the entire hall, arms wide open. Four piles of bones were on the ground around him. ‘I believe it’s finally time for our long overdue Hallowe’en Feast entertainment!’ He waved his wand at the piles, which started to move, forming four dancing skeletons with top hats. After about a minute of the rattling dance, the skeletons fell to the ground in pieces, returning to the original four piles. Everyone clapped, and Dumbledore spoke one last time. ‘Happy Hallowe’en!’


	3. Passing Time

‘Have you told anyone about what Snape and Filch said in the corridor?’ Merula surprised Jamie with the question during a Potions Class in mid-November.  
Looking around to make sure that Snape didn’t see them talking in class, he decided to keep his conversations with Rowan to himself. ‘No, of course not.’  
‘You’re a terrible liar,’ noted Merula with a sneer. ‘Thankfully, no one believes anything you say, so you won’t ruin my chances of getting inside that room.’  
Jamie looked at her, puzzled. ‘Why are you after the Cursed Vaults?  
‘None of your business,’ was the cold reply.  
Jamie leaned a bit closer, whispering ‘Ah, but it is. My brother was searching for them.’  
‘And he failed because you come from a family of failures,’ Merula snapped, throwing a quick glance at the Potions Master, who was watching them with a suspicious look. ‘Now shut up, and pretend to study before Snape hears us talking about the Vaults,’ she said, as she continued with her potion. Jamie shrugged, and did the same.  
When his potion was nearly finished, he saw Merula stirring her potion five times. Remembering that the instructions said seven times, he whispered ‘Two more stirs.’  
Merula clearly did not like the correction by the look on her face. ‘Excuse me?’  
‘Snape said to stir seven times, clockwise. You stirred five’ explained the teen, as he saw the Potions master approach their table.  
‘You don’t know what you’re talking about,’ she dismissed him, when another voice joined their chat, much colder.  
‘Shockingly, in this solitary instance, Smith is correct’ Snape said, peering into Merula’s potion. He then looked at the boy, noting ‘Even a reckless, incompetent fool like you can become a middling wizard by following instructions, Smith. Ten points to Slytherin.’  
‘Thank you, Professor Snape…’ quietly said Jamie, while smiling to himself. Merula, on the other hand, remained silent, looking utterly defeated and resentful. Shortly after, Snape dismissed the class, and everyone started packing their things and went to dinner.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, and in all that time Merula seemed to calm down. At least, she seemed to not be in a rush to fight again, though her jabs during classes were still present. Still, the threat of another confrontation seemed present, which is probably why one spring morning Jamie was pulled aside by Felix Rosier while the former was studying in the Slytherin Common Room. ‘What is it, Felix?’ Jamie asked. ‘Did I lose House Points again?’  
‘Ha ha,’ Felix let out a sarcastic laugh, before turning serious, looking down at Jamie. ‘No, it’s not that. You’ve been doing great, by what I hear from the professors.’  
‘Well, I try my best.’  
‘No, I wanted to talk to you about your duelling training.’  
‘My training?’ Jamie asked. He had not had any more unofficial lessons from his Prefect since his duel with Merula in early September, and he and Rowan had stopped duelling on their own at the bespectacled boy’s request, as in his own words, he was a reader, not a fighter.  
Felix nodded. ‘I taught you the basics of duelling, but I feel like you’re going to need a bit more, especially if someone like Merula decides to test you to your limits. Since you’ve already proven to be better than Rowan, I’ve volunteered another one of your friends to help you practise. Tomorrow, after classes, meet us on the Training Grounds.’

Jamie was puzzled as to what friend Felix was talking about, since there were not many choices. His first guess was Penny, though he found it hard to think about her in a duel, as she was more about potions than spellcasting. Ben was good with charms, though he didn’t seem to have a knack for fighting. Or doing anything that required a minimum of danger, really. The only other option resembling a friend was Chiara, and she had barely spoken to Jamie since November. Truth be told, she had barely spoken to anyone, though Penny did mention her as a friend from time to time. Still with all these confusing thoughts in mind, Jamie went to meet Felix the next day. A bit shockingly, Ben was there with him. ‘Ben?’ Jamie asked. ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’  
‘As sure as I’ll ever be,’ Ben said, his voice trembling. ‘I need to learn how to duel too. You won’t always be around to save me.’  
‘Ben may be a bit of a coward,’ Felix said. ‘No offence,’ he quickly added, looking at Ben. ‘But Professor Flitwick says that he’s one of the most gifted first-year Charms students. You two should give each other a good challenge. The only thing I ask is that you don’t go easy on each other. You’ll both learn much more if you give it your all.’  
‘I don’t mind you going easy on me, Jamie,’ Ben muttered. ‘Sometimes it’s safer to avoid learning…’  
Jamie shook his head. ‘I’m sorry, Ben. I don’t want to hurt you, but I want us both to learn as much as we can.’  
Ben nodded, shaking. ‘I understand. I’ll try to keep my whimpering to minimum.’  
‘Good, then,’ Felix said. ‘Take your positions.’

Jamie and Ben gave each other space, being separated by about twelve feet of grass, wands drawn. Ben was shaking still, his wand barely pointing in Jamie’s general direction, while Jamie was steadily holding his. With a yell, Jamie started. ‘ _Flipendo!_ ’  
Ben shrieked, jumping out of the way on time, covering his head with his arms. Surprisingly, he managed to gather enough courage to point at Jamie and shout ‘ _Flipendo!_ ’  
Jamie was taken by surprise at Ben’s sudden retaliation, not dodging the spell on time. He was flung backwards, the grass breaking his fall, and his chest burning from the impact. He had to give it to the Gryffindor, he certainly knew his charms. Gritting his teeth, he got up quickly, while Ben was still processing what he had just accomplished, and yelled ‘ _Rictusempra!_ ’ A silver bolt of light was shot at Ben, who narrowly avoided it in time, but Jamie had promised to not go easy on him, and he was going to keep that promise. ‘ _Flipendo! Expelliarmus! Slugulus Eructo!_ ’ Jamie fired in quick succession.  
Ben was struck on the right shoulder by the first spell, but he managed to squirm out of the way of the other two, grasping his injured limb with a whimper.

The duel continued for a good while, with them exchanging blows, though it was clear that Jamie had the upper hand, with Ben shaking too much to aim properly most of the time. When Felix stopped the fighting, Jamie asked ‘Are you okay, Ben?’  
‘I think so,’ Ben said, rubbing a few sore spots, though he was smiling. ‘Thanks for not going easy on me, Jamie. The bruises will be gone soon, but this duelling experience will stick with me forever.’  
‘Well done, both of you,’ Felix praised them, a smile on his sharp features. ‘You gave it your all, and you both are the better for it.’  
‘Thanks,’ Jamie said. With a chuckle, he asked jokingly ‘So… what’s my next step to becoming a master duellist?’  
‘You need to study duelling strategies and techniques in your free time. You’ll need to be better prepared for your next duel,’ Felix said.  
‘Next duel?’ Jamie perked up. ‘Against who?’  
‘Against me,’ Felix said.

With a mix of excitement and nervousness, Jamie studied with Rowan during their free time, even staying at Hogwarts for the Easter Holidays. Felix remained behind as well, and informed Jamie that their duel would be done during these holidays, during a sunny evening. Meeting with the tall Prefect in the Training Grounds, Jamie was asked ‘Are you ready for our duel?’  
‘As ready as I’ll ever be,’ Jamie said, gulping. ‘I read everything I could read on duelling.’  
‘Well done. You can’t succeed if you don’t prepare. You can’t grow without challenging yourself, and you can’t become a better duellist without facing someone stronger. All I ask is that you give it your all like you did when you fought Copper.’  
‘You should do the same,’ Jamie warned. ‘I plan on winning.’  
‘Good,’ Felix said with a chuckle. ‘Let’s begin.’

They took out their wands and assumed their stances. Unlike in his duels with Ben or Rowan, Jamie was feeling much more nervous, his eyes locked on Felix, wondering how he could ever defeat him. He had to be quicker than him, at least, so in less than a second after taking their stances Jamie stomped to the side, shouting ‘ _Expelliarmus!_ ’  
Felix had the same idea as him, shouting at the same time ‘ _Everte Statum!_ ’  
The spells crashed into each other in a small explosion of sparks, but neither duellist stopped to marvel at the spectacle. Jamie had started running sideways, quickly firing Knockback Jinxes and Disarming Charms at his Prefect. Felix moved from side to side, avoiding the spells and pointing exactly at where Jamie was going to be at. ‘ _Confundo!_ ’  
A pink light hit Jamie in the face, and he stopped in his tracks, looking around with a puzzled look. He looked at Felix, frowning at the wand that was being pointed at him, and then realised he had to get out of the way when Felix casted a jinx at him. Hurriedly stepping to the side, he noticed he had his own wand drawn, and wondered why he was fighting his Prefect. Shrugging, he cried ‘ _Rictusempra!_ ’  
Felix wasn’t expecting Jamie to attack so soon after being Confunded, and the Tickling Charm made him bend over, laughing. While he was laughing, Jamie shook his head, the Confundus Charm finally being lifted. Realising his own luck, he quickly shouted ‘ _Expelliarmus!_ ’ The red jet of light made Felix fly backward when he was hit on the chest, his wand flying away from his hand. Chuckling, the Prefect rolled over, trying to get his wand back and keep fighting. Just when he was about to get it, Jamie quickly shouted ‘ _Flipendo!_ ’  
The spell hit Felix on his side, making him fall on his shoulder, groaning. Raising his hands in surrender, he said, still chuckling, ‘Unbelievable… Maybe you should be the one teaching me how to duel…’  
‘I would have never gotten this far without your guidance,’ Jamie reminded him, stowing away his wand.  
Felix shook his head, asking ‘Are you going to tell everyone that you defeated your Prefect in a duel?’  
‘No,’ Jamie said, feeling a bit bad for his Prefect for what had effectively been a stroke of luck. ‘This was all about learning, not about bragging. Besides…’ Jamie smirked. ‘I’ll have plenty to brag about when I defeat Merula again.’  
‘Just don’t do it in front of any professors, eh?’ Felix said, smirking like him.

In the middle of April, a Slytherin house meeting was held in their common room, to plot a strategy to win the House Cup. Sitting down around the fireplace with Rowan, Jamie heard his friend say ‘We’re going to start the strategy session after Merula shuts up about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.’  
‘I just like watching you idiots squirm,’ Merula said, leaning against a wall near the fireplace and rolling her eyes. Looking at Jamie with curiosity, she asked ‘What do you think about Slytherin’s connection to Voldemort, Smith?’  
‘It makes everything more difficult,’ Jamie scoffed, wincing at the name. ‘Everyone always assumes we’re up to no good.’  
‘That’s enough,’ Felix declared, standing near Merula. ‘And Merula, I’m sick of telling you to stop calling him by his name… It’s either You-Know-Who, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, or The Dark Lord. I don’t care who your family is, break that rule again, and I’m taking you straight to Professor Snape.’ The Prefect was keeping a stern and calm tone, but underneath Jamie could sense something else. He had sometimes wondered how closely related Felix was to the Death Eater Evan Rosier, though he often brushed aside those thoughts, as Felix never seemed like the kind of person to be so cruel.  
‘Whatever.’  
‘We’re supposed to be plotting this year’s strategy,’ Felix ignored the girl. ‘For winning the House Cup. And Quidditch. Everything, basically. Slytherin must always remain the top house,’ he said with a gleam of pride in his eyes. ‘By any means necessary…’

For the rest of the afternoon and evening, the Slytherins discussed their plans and schemes. The more aggressive plans from Slytherins like Merula were turned down by the Prefects, while more subtle plans like the ones offered by Rowan were better received. Only time would tell if their plans for winning the House Cup would work…

‘Attention, students!’ Professor McGonagall called out to everyone in the Great Hall during lunchtime, a sunny day of early May. ‘I am delighted to share a special announcement with all of you. Starting today, the Sphinx, Dragon, and Hippogriff Clubs will be opening their doors to new members.’  
‘I’ve not heard of those clubs before,’ a girl said, raising a hand from the Hufflepuff table. ‘What makes them special?’  
‘These clubs allow Hogwarts’ most gifted students a chance to further their studies with like-minded students… and receive highly prized benefits for their dedication,’ explained the professor.  
‘How can we get into one of the clubs?’ Rowan was the next student to ask, raising his hand.  
‘Each club has unique requirements that must be met to enjoy membership in good standing,’ McGonagall said.  
‘Professor, you mentioned that these clubs are for like-minded students,’ Penny said, from the Hufflepuff table. ‘What disciplines do the clubs cover?’  
‘The Sphinx Club looks for members that perform well in Charms, Transfiguration, History of Magic, and Astronomy,’ McGonagall explained. ‘The Dragon Club seeks members that show aptitude in Flying, Defense Against the Dark Arts, duelling and Quidditch. And the Hippogriff Club accepts members that excel in Potions, Herbology, Divinations and Care of Magical Creatures. But your classes won’t be the only place where you can make a good impression with these clubs, as students who are already members of these clubs can invite other talented students into their clubs.’  
‘What if I want to be part of all the clubs?’ Merula asked loudly.  
‘It is possible, but only Hogwarts’ most exceptional wizards and witches can become members of multiple clubs!’ McGonagall replied. ‘Please see me privately if you have any more questions. For the time being, enjoy your meal.’

The students returned to their food, many talking about the recent news. Jamie and Rowan agreed that the Sphinx Club seemed the most appealing to them, though for slightly different reasons: they both enjoyed Charms, but Rowan was much more interested in History of Magic, while Jamie felt better focusing on Transfigurations. Astronomy was not a problem for either. Jamie felt the Dragon Club was also interesting, but Defense Against the Dark Arts had been rubbish thus far, Flying class was not his favourite discipline, and he was not a big fan of Quidditch; but he was a fan of duelling, though until then it had been done illegally. He also had the gut feeling that the Dragon Club would be Merula’s first choice of club, so he wanted to avoid it as much as possible. 

When Jamie was finishing his lunch, Rowan left to return a book to the library, and probably get another one. ‘Have fun!’ yelled Jamie as Rowan trotted away.  
‘I will! See you later!’ Rowan yelled back, waving his arm.  
Jamie returned to his dessert, but two figures called out to him. ‘Jamie! Chiara and I want to know more about the clubs. Want to go up there with us?’ Penny asked him, standing behind him with Chiara at her side.  
‘Not at all,’ Jamie said with a smile, standing up. They walked up to the High Table, towards Professor McGonagall, who noticed their approach.  
‘Miss Haywood, Mr Smith, Miss Lobosca… to what do I owe the pleasure?’ she asked pleasantly.  
‘If you don’t mind, Professor, we’d like to know a little more about the clubs,’ Jamie said.  
‘I’m here to answer any questions you may have,’ McGonagall said, nodding at Jamie’s request. ‘The clubs are a delight, and I hope to see both of you participate. This is a unique opportunity to realise your full potential and bond with your peers outside of your traditional classes.’  
‘Sure sounds like it,’ Penny said excitedly. ‘I hope it won’t be long until I get the chance to convince the Hippogriff members to let me join.’  
‘My dear, I have little doubt that you will see an invitation extended to you soon,’ McGonagall said kindly. ‘Professor Snape and Professor Sprout have been quite happy with your classwork.’  
Penny beamed up. ‘It’s a relief to hear you say that!’  
‘What about you, Miss Lobosca?’ McGonagall asked, curious.  
‘The Hippogriff Club is interesting, but I think the Sphinx Club sounds best for me,’ Chiara said.  
‘I’m sure you will have no trouble either. Professor Sinistra has spoken highly of you, as has Professor Flitwick. And your work in Transfigurations is certainly commendable.’  
Chiara gave her a grateful nod; and Professor McGonagall looked from the Hufflepuffs to the Slytherin, noting ‘You appear to be lost in your thoughts, Mr Smith. May I ask which club sounded most appealing to you?’  
‘By the sound of it, I think I’m most interested in the Sphinx Club too.’  
‘Then I say to you the same as to Miss Lobosca. But remember what I said earlier: it’s possible to take part in multiple clubs if you demonstrate your talents to your peers. Keep this in mind during your time here at Hogwarts.’  
The three students nodded, and Penny said ‘We most certainly will!’  
‘Very well. Now, you better be on your way. I don’t want to be responsible for you being late for your next class.’


	4. Ice Bucket Challenge

The next day, a piece of parchment on the noticeboard of the common room caught everyone’s attention. “ _Hogwarts Duelling Club grand reopening!_ ” it read, followed by a list of the hours the students could attend, and a space for students to sign if interested in joining. The first session of the club would be dedicated to its presentation, and Jamie decided to sign in almost immediately. Just as he expected, Merula had been the first to sign. Quite a few students attended the Duelling Club opening that day, Jamie and Rowan among them. A few other first-years had attended the meeting as well, including an excited Penny Haywood and, surprisingly, Ben Copper, who was trembling and stuttering as much as ever. The four friends gathered together, Ben looking around nervously to make sure he avoided Merula. They were all waiting in the dungeons, in front of a pair of large, thick wooden doors.

The doors opened wide, and Professor Dumbledore smiled at the crowd of students, with the four Heads of House behind him. ‘Welcome to the Hogwarts Duelling Club!’ he said, beckoning the students to follow him inside. The room was rectangular and large, and had several long and narrow red carpets delimitating the space for two duellers; while inside runes on the stone floor marked the spots where they should stand at the start. At the centre of one of the longer walls there was a huge wooden shield with the crest of Hogwarts, and two wands crossed in front of it. Many suits of armour adorned the walls, some of them missing pieces and clearly broken; and many stones around the walls, floor and ceiling bore marks of explosions and fires, as did the carpets. The only thing that seemed new and unharmed was a tall blackboard, next to the wooden crest.  
Dumbledore, standing next to the blackboard, called the students attention. ‘This room was built years ago as a safe and supervised space environment for students to practise duelling. I’m sure you have noticed the damage caused by various Fire-Making Spells and Blasting Curses over the years…’ He pointed at some of the nearest marks, noting with seriousness ‘We leave this destruction as a reminder that casting a spell against friend or foe can have lasting implications. Duelling exists as a sport, but may also save your life, as many know first-hand from the Wizarding War. I want all of you to learn this important skill before leaving Hogwarts…’ His eyes lingered for a second on Jamie and Merula, and some other students who looked slightly cowed. ‘But only in this place, under our supervision. The professors will oversee every duel, led by our resident duelling champion, Professor Flitwick. Use this as an opportunity to challenge yourself, and your classmates. We will take note of your performance, and reward those who do well. But enough of my blathering. Face off two at a time, and ready your wands… It’s time to duel!’

The students all rushed to get out their wands and get paired with their friends, while Professor Flitwick squeaked over the ruckus to get some order and start the first duel. ‘Stand back, please, stand back! I’ll select the first duellists! All the others back against the wall!’  
The crowd flattened itself against the longer walls, outside of the carpet boundaries, while Flitwick perused the students there. ‘Let’s see… We’ll start with the first-years. Ah, Mr Copper, come here!’  
A very afraid Ben walked out of the crowd, standing on top of one of the chalk runes, his hand trembling and clutching his wand tightly, while Flitwick mulled over who his opponent would be. Jamie quickly nudged Rowan forward, sensing Merula’s eagerness to be picked to beat Ben. Rowan nodded slightly, getting his idea, and raised his hand. ‘Let me, professor.’  
‘Yes, perfect!’ Flitwick said. Rowan took his position, giving Ben a little smile. Ben seemed a bit calmer, though still very much nervous, as they bowed and pointed their wands at each other. ‘Start!’ yelled Flitwick.  
‘ _Flipendo!_ ’ Ben cried urgently, taking Rowan by surprise. His jinx hit the Slytherin squarely in the chest, sending him up in the air and backwards.  
Rowan fell hard to the ground, groaning; but quickly pointed his wand at Ben and yelled ‘ _Baubillious!_ ’  
A stream of white sparks shot from his wand, soaring towards Ben, who covered his head with his arms and ducked with a whimper. While he cowered, Rowan got up, pointing at Ben’s wand. ‘ _Expelliarmus!_ ’  
Ben’s wand shot out of his hand, falling with a clanking noise on the ground, while the disarmed boy raised his hands in surrender. ‘Oh, well done!’ Flitwick said happily, clapping at them. ‘Now let’s have someone else… Caplan! Egwu!’  
The duels continued, some much shorter than others. Jamie was paired with Penny, and later with a redhead boy from Gryffindor. The Duelling Club had seemed interesting at first, though by the end of the second duel he realised it wasn’t as exciting as the duels he’d had previously. Whether it was because this space was too small, or perhaps too supervised, or because he somehow enjoyed the thrill of doing something forbidden, he wasn’t sure, but he was sure he would not visit the Hogwarts Duelling Club again any time soon.

Days later, Jamie and Rowan finished a double Transfiguration lesson on turning small objects into matchboxes with the Ravenclaws, the last class of their day. As they were walking down the corridor with the rest of the Slytherins and the Ravenclaws to return to their common rooms, Jamie noticed a pair of figures split from the main crowd. One of them was unmistakably Merula, though Jamie didn’t see the other clearly. He nudged Rowan, pointing at the fleeing figures with his head and a questioning look. ‘She looks in a hurry, doesn’t she?’ he said in a whisper.  
Rowan frowned, assessing the situation. ‘Yes… yes she does… Where do you think she’s…?’  
‘The fifth floor corridor?’ Jamie guessed. ‘The one Filch is supposed to guard? Or maybe somewhere else?’  
‘Do you think we should follow them?’ Rowan asked, but Jamie had already changed his trajectory as a reply, and the British Indian boy followed him.  
‘She can’t be up to anything good,’ Jamie said when they were alone, following Merula and her companion’s footsteps. ‘And if she’s going to that locked room, I want to know what’s inside too.’  
Their pursuit led them to the fifth floor, to the farthest corridor on the east end of the floor. Merula and her mysterious accomplice, a girl Jamie didn’t know, were most definitely sneaking around, as were Jamie and Rowan, a long way away from them. The two girls looked around a corner, and Jamie and Rowan found a nice hiding spot behind a tapestry, where there was just enough space for the two of them. Hiding behind the tapestry, they heard the girl’s footsteps returning their way, and Merula complaining in a hushed voice about something. ‘…that filthy cat just won’t go away, she’s always there…’ Jamie heard her say before she was too far away for him to make out anything properly. Carefully sticking his head out just enough to make sure they had gone away, he motioned at Rowan to exit the tapestry as well.  
‘Well, she’s not happy,’ Rowan said, looking down the flight of stairs the two girls had taken.  
‘All the better,’ Jamie said. ‘So Filch’s cat is guarding the door… That’s interesting.’  
‘You know, I never liked Mrs Norris,’ Rowan mused. ‘She’s nothing like Fuzzclaw, always so aggressive…’  
‘Rowan, focus.’  
‘…Sorry. So what do we do now?’  
‘Let’s go back to the common room, I’ll think of something later…’ Jamie decided. ‘We’d best get out of here before someone sees us…’

They started walking towards the dungeons, through mostly deserted corridors, though it was still early. Most people enjoyed their free time outside of the castle, around the shores of the lake, or studied for their exams in the common rooms and study halls. As such, there was no one nearby to help when they turned a corner in a dungeon corridor and a voice sneered ‘ _Colloshoo!_ ’  
Jamie’s shoes stuck to the stone floor as if they’d been glued down, making him trip and fall face-first. Rowan tried to help him up, but Merula’s next spell hit him. ‘ _Brachiabindo!_ ’  
Rowan’s arms stuck to his sides as if bound by invisible ropes, and as he struggled to take out his wand with his rigid arms Merula snickered, stepping out from behind a full suit of armour. ‘I knew it! I knew you were following me!’  
‘What are you talking about?’ Jamie asked casually, even though he was still on the ground and his nose and chin were bleeding. His feet were still stuck to the floor, and he had taken out his wand without her noticing while she was hexing Rowan.  
‘I know you were following me after Transfigurations,’ she said with a roll of her eyes. ‘You’re terrible at hiding. A tapestry? Really?’  
‘I mean, you were pretty obvious yourself,’ Jamie taunted, prepared to disarm her at any moment. ‘I’m surprised no one else noticed you going to the fifth floor.’  
‘As if anyone could ever stop me,’ Merula scoffed.  
‘Last I heard, “anyone” was a cat,’ Jamie said, making her go red with anger. Sensing she was going to attack, he slashed his wand as best as he could and cried ‘ _Expelliarmus!_ ’  
There was a flash of red light, and Merula’s wand flew away while she fell backwards against the armour. Wasting no time, Jamie pointed at Rowan. ‘ _Finite!_ ’  
Rowan’s arms were freed, and he took out his wand while Jamie used the counter-spell again, on his own feet. Merula was backed against the armour now, wandless, outnumbered, and absolutely furious. ‘This doesn’t change anything,’ she said between gritted teeth. ‘You won’t get into that room.’  
‘Neither will you,’ Jamie said. ‘Now go away, before I decide your head’s the wrong size and needs to be changed.’  
Merula picked up her wand, pushing Rowan out of the way, and stomping her way back to their common room. Jamie and Rowan followed a while after, wands stowed, after Jamie had cleaned his face of blood.

The school term was coming to a close. Even though he had mainly focused on his school work and his few friends, Jamie had not forgotten about the mysterious room that Mrs Norris was guarding, and he had done his homework on the matter. ‘I came up with a plan to get into the room Mrs Norris is guarding,’ in the Great Hall, Jamie told Rowan about his idea during one of their study sessions in late May. ‘First, we need to get past Mrs Norris. If we give her a Sleeping Draught, it will knock her out just long enough to let us by. Second, we need a way to get inside the door. _Alohomora_ should do the trick. Third, we’ll use _Flipendo_ to help us escape if we get trapped inside like with the Devil’s Snare.’  
‘If you ask Snape to brew a Sleeping Draught, he’ll get suspicious…’ Rowan pointed out the flaw.  
‘I’ll ask Penny Haywood,’ said Jamie, taking Rowan by surprise.  
‘Penny Haywood? She’s the most popular witch in our year, if not the whole school.’  
‘Ever since my duel with Merula, we’ve become friends, and she offered to help me if I ever needed anything. She said she’s pretty good with potions,’ said Jamie, remembering their brewing of Wolfsbane Potion. ‘Honestly, she’s being modest. If anyone in our year knows how to brew a Sleeping Draught, it’s her.’  
‘What about Filch?’  
Jamie smirked. ‘I was inspired by your love of research, and decided to do a little of my own on Filch. I think I can throw him off our trail. There is one more thing, though. I think we’ll need a third person to pull this off.’  
‘Who else do you want to bring?’  
‘Penny should do fine.’

Recruiting Penny took some convincing, but in the end Jamie was successful. Their plan was executed just after the week of exams was over, in the first days of June, when they had no lessons left. The exams seemed easy enough for Jamie, who managed to pass with high marks, as did Rowan. 

Finally, the time had come. The trio was standing in front of the corridor Mrs Norris was guarding, having snuck out from the dungeons at night. Penny was ecstatic to be on her first adventure, and Rowan seemed on edge. All three had prepared as much as they could, and the distraction Jamie came up with for Filch was working for the moment being. With some luck, Peeves might actually be trashing the Trophy Room. Now, it was time to put the plan into action.

Rowan snuck close to Mrs Norris, and spilled on the ground the Sleeping Draught mixed with milk, then got back to the others. They watched Mrs Norris smell the liquid and give it a few licks, before falling unconscious on her side. Quickly, they approached the door, and Jamie pointed his wand at the lock. ‘ _Alohomora,_ ’ he whispered, and a clicking sound confirmed it had worked. But before they could open the door, a figure behind them pointed her wand to the trio.  
‘ _Flipendo! Flipendo! Flipendo!_ ’ said she, and her three spells hit their marks, leaving the three students on the floor. Merula chuckled. ‘Only an idiot like you would invite a Hufflepuff to keep watch, Smith. I was wondering how to unlock the door and get past that nasty cat. All I had to do is follow you, and wait for you to do it for me.’ Then she looked at the door with fire in her eyes. ‘A Cursed Vault could be inside, and no one is going to reach the Cursed Vaults before me!’ She then opened the door, and slipped inside the room, closing behind her.  
The three friends got up, still hurt from the impact. ‘Have I mentioned how much I hate Merula?’ Rowan pondered, rubbing the back of his head in pain.  
‘Are you alright, Penny?’ asked Jamie.  
‘I’ll be fine, I brought a Wiggenweld Potion,’ she answered, reaching for the vial in her pocket. ‘What should we do?’  
Jamie looked at the closed door, and thought of what could be beyond. If it was dangerous enough for it to be guarded by the meanest people on the castle, then he shuddered to think what laid beyond. ‘I know it sounds mad, but we have to help her. She could be in danger.’  
‘You’re right. It sounds mad. But whatever you choose, I’m right behind you, Jamie,’ Rowan assured him.  
Penny nodded. ‘Me too. There won’t be enough healing potions in all of Hogwarts to help Merula when I’m done with her…’

Turning to the door, they opened it and stepped inside. The door closed behind them, and they saw Merula with her legs trapped in a pillar of blue ice, and her wand illuminating the room. The same ice spread through the walls, the floor, the ceiling, and was nearing the door. Jamie looked at the trapped witch. ‘Merula?! What happened?’ Behind him, he could hear Rowan laugh for a moment at her predicament.  
‘The ice st-stuck m-me to the f-floor, and k-keeps sp-spreading over me!’ said Merula in a panicked voice. Then Jamie remembered a strange vision he had had months back, when he and Rowan were searching for a duelling book.  
‘It’s the same ice from my vision…’ he muttered.  
Merula pointed behind them. ‘It’s spreading over the door too! Get m-me out of this i-ice before I j-jinx the three of you!’ Her threat lacked power, but the warning was very much true. The door was stuck, the handle encased in ice. And Rowan and Penny felt the ice encase their feet as well with horror.  
‘Hold on!’ Jamie cried, as he pointed his wand at Rowan’s feet. ‘ _Flipendo!_ ’ The spell worked, and Rowan was freed.  
‘We have to help Penny…’ he managed to say, shivering. The two boys cast the Knockback Kinx on the ice around Penny, and she too was freed.  
‘Thank you, I was afraid I’d freeze to death…’ Penny thanked them, but was interrupted by Merula.  
‘No one c-cares about y-you! S-save m-m-me!’  
‘Stand back’ Jamie told the others, and pointed once more at the ice with his hornbeam wand. ‘This is going to hurt, Merula…’ he warned.  
‘What a-are you t-talking about?! What are y-you g-going to d-do?!’  
‘ _FLIPENDO!_ ’  
The strength of the spell knocked Merula to her feet, with Rowan commenting on it, ‘Hurts, doesn’t it?’  
‘We have to get out of this room…’ Jamie reminded him, and they turned towards the ice that covered the door. ‘Cast the Knockback Jinx on the door!’ ordered Jamie to his friends, and all three of them shouted " _FLIPENDO!_ ". Part of the ice was shattered, but the door remained stuck. Rowan started panicking. ‘What do we do, Jamie?! The ice is spreading fast!’  
Penny looked at the handle, and spoke, ‘I have an idea…’  
Jamie looked at her, hopeful. ‘What are you going to do?’  
‘I’m going to see if I really know how to brew a Strengthening Potion.’ She then took a potion out of a pocket, and drank its contents.  
Expectant, Jamie asked her, ‘Did it work?’  
Grabbing the handle, she replied, ‘We’re about to find out…’ With all her might, and superhuman strength, she pulled, and the ice started cracking. She continued for a few seconds, and the ice holding the door shattered, the door wide open.  
‘You did it, Penny!’ congratulated Jamie, but Rowan cut him off. ‘Let’s get out of here!'  
‘Do you think this ice will keep spreading throughout the castle?’ asked Penny.  
Before he could give an answer, Jamie noticed writing on the wall over the door. ‘Wait! Look at this!’  
‘It’s some sort of code. Someone left a message in the ice…’ pointed out Rowan.  
‘I wish I had something to write it down…’ lamented Jamie, but his bespectacled friend kept surprising him when he said ‘I already have it memorised. Let’s get out of here.’

Back in the corridor, exhausted and cold, they all felt relieved to be back outside of the room. They all got parted ways before they could get caught, and on the way to the Slytherin Common Room Jamie and Rowan talked about their adventure. It looked like Jamie’s vision could have been some sort of prophecy, and they had much to think about.

In only a day, it seemed like all of Hogwarts already knew about their expedition. The next night, Jamie went to the Courtyard to meet with Professor Dumbledore at his request. Felix had tried to get a confession out of him (without much results), but ultimately the student’s fate would be determined by the Headmaster.  
‘Thank you for meeting with me, James,’ said the Headmaster.  
Bracing for the worst, Jamie spoke. ‘Of course, Professor Dumbledore. I-’  
‘It’s beautiful, isn’t it?’ commented the elder, looking up at the starry night sky, seemingly oblivious to any problems.  
‘Sir?’  
‘The quiet night, the crisp air—it truly puts your troubles into perspective, doesn’t it?’ Without looking at the confused student, he continued. ‘I oftentimes come here when I need to make an important decision.’  
Jamie spoke up. ‘My Prefect said you wanted to see me about everything I’ve done wrong this year… And about what happened with the cursed ice.’  
Finally, Dumbledore looked into his eyes, and smiled. ‘You are expecting a lecture, but I feel as though you want to ask me about something…’  
Jamie thought about it, and voiced his worries. ‘I had a vision, Professor. I saw living armour, hidden passages, cursed ice… When I heard about the ice, I had to know what it was about. I thought… I think it has to do with my brother.’  
‘Interesting. I have a feeling these things will become clearer to you in the coming years at Hogwarts.’  
Surprised, Jamie asked ‘I’m not going to be expelled?’  
Dumbledore’s gaze turned stern, as he answered ‘You have made many, many mistakes this year, James.’ He smiled. ‘But you have also demonstrated bravery, compassion, and resourcefulness. You show great promise. All things considered, I believe you have earned one hundred points for Slytherin.’  
‘One hundred House Points?! Wow. Thank you, Professor Dumbledore.’ James almost shouted out of joy.  
‘In the years to come, you must be mindful of how your decisions impact others,’ the Headmaster continued. ‘Remember, James, it is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices.’  
‘Can we talk more about the cursed ice? And my brother? And the Cursed Vaults?’ Jamie fired rapidly all these questions.  
‘We can and we will.’ Then he winked. ‘Next year. Enjoy your summer holidays, James.’

The End of Term Feast came, and the House Cup winner was announced. Even with the extra points, Slytherin wouldn’t win it this year, and their whole table groaned, being left in second place by a sliver of points. The next morning, the students took the train home, and discussed their summer plans. Rowan was sure he could decipher the code by their second year, and Jamie played Gobstones with his friend and practiced the spells they had learned, even doing a bit of duelling in their compartment. When the train reached King’s Cross, they went their separate ways, looking forward to their next year at Hogwarts.


End file.
